


Detroit: Rebirth

by Miraichaos



Series: Detroit: Rebirth [1]
Category: Detroit Evolution - Fandom, Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Detroit Evolution, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Kidnapping, M/M, Post-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Spoilers for Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, descriptions of violence, reed900
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 37,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24763612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraichaos/pseuds/Miraichaos
Summary: After closing Ada's case, Gavin and Nines return to normal life with the addition of their new relationship. However, love alone can't change Gavin Reed. It can't erase the struggles of his past or his hostile temperament, and his relationship with Nines pays the price.Following yet another argument late at night, Gavin storms out of the precinct alone. He doesn't return to work in the morning, and a haunting clue suggests there may be more to Gavin's disappearance than a temper tantrum.When a mysterious person contacts Nines and reveals they have taken Gavin hostage, Nines is given a choice: kill Markus, so Gavin's captor can take his place and lead androids to supremacy above all beings, or find Gavin's body in the Detroit River. Faced with the impossible decision of choosing between the man he loves and the man who gave him his freedom, Nines is determined to find another way. However, if he fails to find a solution soon enough, his decision might just be made for him.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: Detroit: Rebirth [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790872
Comments: 11
Kudos: 107





	Detroit: Rebirth

A heavy yawn split Gavin’s face as he leaned back in his chair at the precinct. His fingers lifted off his keyboard and stretched into the air behind him.

“You should go home and get some sleep,” Nines recommended from where he was perched on Gavin’s desk with a tablet in hand.

“Not tired,” Gavin claimed.

A muscle in Nines’ jaw twitched and he looked up from his tablet. “You’ve yawned three times in the past minute, and you’ve already consumed four times the recommended daily limit of caffeine… in the last two _hours_.”

“So?”

“Frequent yawning is a sign of exhaustion, and humans consume coffee either for an energy boost or for the taste of the beverage. After a year of listening to your complaints, I know you hate how bitter the breakroom coffee is.”

Gavin yawned again, shrugged, then returned his hands to his keyboard and resumed typing. “So, I want a boost. Doesn’t mean I’m tired.”

Nines sighed and set down his tablet. “Gavin,” he began as he slid off the desk and moved behind his partner’s chair. “You need to rest.”

Gavin snorted. “I think you should know by now that isn’t something I do.”

“Not needing sleep and struggling to get sleep are two very different things, Gavin.”

“Fun fact about humans, Nines. When we don’t sleep, we learn how to function just fine without it. And trust me; I’ve had _plenty_ of practice.”

Nines stared in discontent, then leaned over Gavin’s shoulder and tapped the escape key on the detective’s keyboard. The document on Gavin’s screen closed and the computer returned to its home screen.

Gavin whirled around in his chair to face Nines. “What the _fuck_ was that?”

“Stop working and go home.”

“Why don’t you?”

“I don’t need rest.”

“Neither do I.”

“Yes, you do.”

Gavin stuck up his middle finger and shoved it in Nines’ face, then turned back to his computer. Nines caught his chair mid-turn and stopped it.

“Gavin, please, go home.”

“For the last time, Nines, I’m _fine_ ,” Gavin insisted in a warning tone. He tried spinning his chair out of Nines’ grip, but the android held fast. The chair didn’t budge.

“You’ve done enough, Gavin. Go home. I’ll finish the reports and send them to Fowler by the time you get back.” Nines reached toward Gavin’s face with his free hand and traced a finger over the impossibly deep purple shadows under Gavin’s eyes. They somehow managed to darken with each passing day. “Please.”

Gavin slapped Nines’ hand off his face. “No, Nines. It’s my work, I can get it done. I’m _fine_ ,” he growled, his anger beginning to boil over. “And don’t even _think_ about scanning me again.”

“It’s _our_ work. We are both responsible for getting it done, and you’ve already completed more than your share. Leave the rest to me.”

“Yeah, it’s _our_ work, which is why I’m not dumping it on you just because I’m stuck in a meat sack that wants to fall into a coma for six hours.”

“Actually, the recommended amount of sleep for humans is eight hours. It’s possible to function on less, but it’s best for your health-“

“Can you just _stop_ ?” Gavin interrupted. “I’ve been doing this job longer than you’re been _alive_ , Nines. I know what I need to do, and I don’t need you acting like you’re my fuckin’ _mom_.”

Nines frowned. “I’m acting like your _partner_ as I _should_. I’m just trying to look out for your wellbeing so your health doesn’t fail.”

“If you’re so goddamn worried about my health, then try backing the fuck off instead of giving me shit for trying to do my fuckin’ job!” Gavin hissed. He ripped his chair out of Nines’ hold and spun around to face his computer again.

Nines watched Gavin with a furrowed brow. “Gavin, please. I don’t want to fight with you right now. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“And I _said_ I’m _fine_.”

“Just because you say that doesn’t mean it’s true.”

Gavin tensed, and his fingers paused on his keyboard. Then, in the blink of an eye, he saved his document, closed the tab, and smashed the power button on his computer. He whipped around in his chair and bolted to his feet, sticking his face within an inch of Nines’.

“Fine. If you’re so fuckin’ _eager_ to get rid of me, I’ll _go_ ,” Gavin snarled. “It’s not like I can’t work on the reports at home.” Gavin attempted to step past Nines, but the android caught his bicep in a death grip that stopped him in his tracks.

“You know that isn’t the case, just like I know that you’re only being a dick right now because you’re tired and you’re stressed,” Nines explained, fighting to keep his tone level despite the hurt and anger that made his throat feel tight. “Once you get some rest, we can talk.”

Gavin fixed Nines with a glare that would have made anyone else back away. “I’m always like this, and you know it. If you hate it so much, then maybe you should have left like everyone else did. No need to waste your time pretending I care.”

Nines stiffened, and Gavin slipped from his grasp. The detective stormed out of the office without a backwards glance, leaving Nines standing by his desk, alone.

Nines’ gaze went to the door, and he stared, unable to tear his eyes away even when the startled stares of the few others in the precinct began to make his skin itch. Something felt cold in his chest as if his thirium pump had been replaced with ice. “He’s stressed, and he’s exhausted,” Nines murmured to himself. “We can talk it out in the morning. Everything will be fine.” His tone was intended to be confident and reassuring, but there was no hiding the small waver in it as Nines tried to convince himself with words spoken by a voice that wasn’t quite sure what to believe anymore.

-000-

The hand on the speedometer crept over the speed limit as Gavin’s foot rested heavily on the accelerator. A muscle twitched in his clenched jaw as his eyes scanned the empty roads absentmindedly. His thoughts were back in the precinct; he’d blown up at Nines _again_. It seemed to be happening more and more frequently, and each argument left Gavin feeling cold and hollow. His chest was a void lined in ice, and his mouth was a spout of words he didn’t mean. Insults and scathing remarks flew out of him, born from his temper, and he hated it. He hated himself.

Wasn’t everything supposed to be perfect now? They’d triumphed over evil when they found and deviated Ada, then admitted their love for each other and started going out. Despite the suffering Gavin and Nines had faced during Ada’s case, from their heated fights to Nines’ near-death in the alley, Gavin had walked away from it feeling light. It was as if the weight on his shoulders had lifted. Then, as the weeks passed, it all came crashing back down bit by bit.

Gavin had been right when he said one night together wouldn’t ‘fix’ him. The fantasy idea that love was a fix-all, that falling for someone with all of his heart was all Gavin needed to do to make his problems go away, was bullshit. He wasn’t living in a movie, and real life didn’t work that way. Love had been a temporary solution that distracted him at first, driving away his nightmares before they came back worse. He felt safe and calm until he began to wake up drenched in sweat with the false memory of Nines’ thirium on his hands making his skin tingle while tears itched on his cheeks. The nightmares only grew more gruesome and twisted after that.

Gavin was as much of a disaster as he’d been before his relationship with Nines, if not more so. He was still himself and carried all the same baggage that had weighed heavy on his shoulders his whole life. It didn’t matter if he fell in love once or a thousand times; love didn’t fix people. It wouldn’t fix him.

A red light caught Gavin’s eyes, and he slammed the breaks of his car just in time to stop at the rapidly approaching intersection with a piercing ‘ _screech’_ of protest from his tires. His heart raced, and he let out a long, slow breath to calm himself as he waited for the light to change. When it did, he floored it. The speedometer crept toward red once again.

Gavin’s hands squeezed the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white as the memory of Nines’ face at the moment Gavin had stormed out of the precinct returned to the forefront of his mind. The android was excellent at schooling his features, but in that moment he’d slipped. Hurt and anger in their rawest forms had crossed Nines’ face before Gavin looked away and left. The sight had been a blade in Gavin’s heart that ached as if he himself had been the target of his fury and harsh words. Ultimately, maybe he was, but he was also a habitual offender of taking out his pain on others, so Nines was the one who got burned. Nines didn’t take anything sitting down, of course, and would often bite back with his own scathing words. That didn’t mean he wasn’t getting hurt, though, nor did it mean he wanted to fight in the first place. Nines always tried to talk Gavin down before he gave in to anger and frustration, but Gavin never let him have his way. The detective picked fights where they didn’t need them at every chance he found.

Nines deserved better than that.

A low growl escaped Gavin’s throat, and he reached for his car’s radio in search of a distraction. Quiet instruments filled the silence and hummed distantly in Gavin’s ears. His fingers tapped the steering wheel to the beat, letting the tension seep from his fingertips with every ‘thump’. Slowly, his muscles began to relax until lyrics filled the air.

_‘Cause I’m a fucking mess sometimes_

_But still I could always be_

_Whatever you wanted but not what you needed_

_Especially when you been needing me_

_ 'Cause I’m a fucking mess sometimes _

_And I’ll say what I don’t mean_

_Just ‘cause I wanted or maybe I need it_

_Swear lying’s the only rush I need_

Gavin’s jaw clenched. “Fuck.” He slapped the console to turn the radio off, and tension stiffened his body once again. A torrent of rage and annoyance swelled red-hot within, making his skin tingle and discomfort blossom in his back. He shifted in his seat, but the small motion hardly leant him any kind of reprieve. The discomfort only grew until it was unbearable, and another growl escaped Gavin before he wrenched the wheel to the side and curved sharply around the next turn.

Gavin sped down the road until he reached a parking lot. He swerved clumsily into a random space, threw the car into park, shoved open the door, and climbed out without bothering to remove the key from the ignition. He slammed the car door behind him, then stormed to the railing on the Detroit Riverwalk.

Leaning against the rail overlooking the river, Gavin dug through his pockets in search of his cigarettes and lit one. He took a hit of bitter heat that made him cough as it mixed with the cool winter air that bit his bare arms. He’d left his jacket at the precinct but was too stubborn to go back for it and risk confronting Nines again. That encounter would need to wait until morning when Gavin had cooled down, and so would his jacket.

Gavin sighed. “Son of a bitch…” He scrubbed his face and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn’t take his mind off of the precinct. He couldn’t stop thinking about the merciless vice that squeezed his throat until he couldn’t breathe every time he took out his anger on Nines, the last person who deserved it. For a year, as his friend, Nines had taken Gavin’s shit and given it right back. In the last two months, despite the romantic shift in their relationship, their dynamic had hardly changed. Nines may have been the person Gavin claimed to love, but Gavin treated him like a bitter enemy. They’d been okay during the first few weeks of their new relationship, but as Gavin began to fall apart again, all he did was take it out on Nines the way he had when they first met. He argued with him, insulted him, and pushed him away. He shoved and swatted gentle hands that only wanted to help, and as time went on, he only got worse. 

_He should have turned his back on me. After a year of seeing the same asshat every day, he should have known I can’t change._ But Nines had promised he wasn’t going anywhere, and he hadn’t. He didn’t take Gavin’s insults and anger without a word of protest, but he didn’t walk away from them either. It was like he saw something in Gavin that made him want to stay, something that no one else could see. _Something I can’t even see, because it’s not there._

The cigarette pinched between Gavin’s fingers burned low. He frowned, tossed it aside, crushed it underfoot, then pulled out another one. If Nines were there, he would have scolded Gavin for littering. But Nines wasn’t there, and Gavin had bigger problems than a cigarette butt. He was supposed to be in love. He thought he was. Finding Nines dying in the alleyway during Chris’ party, begging him to hold on as Nines tried to speak before his operating system failed, had _hurt_. It hurt worse than anything Gavin had felt before, surpassing even the pain of the night Fowler had found him as a lost, bloody teen on the street. Gavin’s heart had stopped for just a moment when Nine’s went still in his arms that night in the alley. Nines was more important to him than he could describe, but his behavior didn’t reflect that. Someone in love didn’t yell at their partner for caring about them, or for trying to help them when they were hurting. Someone in love didn’t shut their partner out. Someone in love didn’t keep their partner at arm’s length like they didn’t trust them at all. But Gavin did. Maybe that was what happened to people who didn’t know what it meant to ‘love’. They didn’t know how.

Silent footsteps neared beyond Gavin’s notice. He couldn’t see or hear through the tangle of thoughts in his mind until they were all blown away by a sharp elbow slamming into the back of his head.

Gavin’s knees went weak and he slumped against the railing for a moment as he gathered his bearings before he whirled around to face his attacker and lashed out with a sharp kick that hit home in the attacker’s gut. The attacker stumbled back, giving Gavin a moment to collect himself and catch up to the moment. The back of his head ached incessantly, but he ignored the pain in favor of taking in his opponent’s shadowy figure. They were taller than him, maybe close to Nines’ height, though they were slimmer than his partner. Their face was hidden by the darkness of the night and the shadow of a ball cap.

The attacker lunged at Gavin, who sidestepped and punched at their head. His fist hardly grazed their skull as they twisted out of range and swiped at Gavin’s legs. He danced backward, and the attacker followed him

The pair went back and forth, exchanging blows and leaving bruises that blossomed under skin. Gavin’s opponent moved smoothly and lashed out with quick, precise strikes. Gavin had some skill and experience of his own, but he was no expert, and he was exhausted from too many sleepless nights and a long day at work. His opponent never slowed or weakened while they fought, as if they were unable to tire. Gavin, on the other hand, could feel his limbs growing heavy and his movements becoming sloppy as his muscles began to protest. It was the middle of the night and he was running on fumes. The ache in the back of his head had worsened as well, now a steady throb that made his brain quake in his head. It disoriented him enough that he couldn’t keep dodging, and his attacker’s strikes started to land one after another.

A kick slammed into Gavin’s side and jarred his ribcage. Before he had a chance to recover, his legs were swept out from underneath him. Gavin crashed to the concrete beneath him, then lay face-down as spasms wracked his chest and made him lose himself in a coughing fit. Strong fingers slithered through his hair and twisted themselves into the short strands. Gavin scratched and yanked at the hand on his head, but it’s grip never faltered. His opponent yanked on his hair to force Gavin’s head back and the detective cried out from the sharp pain in his scalp as his attacker leaned in and hot skin brushed his cold ear.

“ _You are not his master_ ,” a low voice hissed, deep and full of rage.

Before Gavin could question what the words meant, his attacker pulled on his hair again. They reared his head back, then slammed it into the bottom rung of the railing on the Riverwalk. Gavin’s temple connected with steel, then he landed motionless on the ground.

The shadow-cloaked figure hoisted Gavin up by his collar and threw him carelessly over their shoulder. His body sagged and a trickle of blood dribbled down his face and soaked his hair. The figure adjusted Gavin on their shoulder as his body began to slip, then wiped a smear of blue on their pants as they walked away unseen through a shower of small snowflakes that spun lazily in the nighttime breeze.

-000-

At eight in the morning on the dot, Chris Miller and Tina Chen walked into the DPD precinct. Per usual they had coffee in hand and talked quietly to each other until they separated to go to their desks. The two worked in silence, diving head-first into the mountain of paperwork that awaited every DPD officer on staff that day. The pair was not yet aware of what was amiss just a few desks away.

At eight thirty, Nines rose from Gavin’s desk where he sat alone and confronted Chris. “Detective Miller,” Nines greeted with a tense nod. “Have you seen or heard from Gavin, by any chance?”

Chris glanced up from his computer and shrugged. “I haven’t heard a word from him since yesterday. But-” Chris leaned to the side and nodded toward Gavin’s desk. ”Isn’t that his jacket? Is he hiding out in the break room or something?”

Nines shook his head. “Gavin and I worked late last night. Eventually I tried to convince him to go home and get some sleep, but he got angry with me and insisted he needed to stay and finish our work even when I offered to take care of it myself. We had…an argument, and Gavin stormed out. He forgot his jacket when he left. Knowing Gavin, I didn’t expect him to come back for it last night. He’d prefer to freeze rather than come back so soon after leaving so heated. However, he was supposed to be here half an hour ago, but he never arrived, nor has he answered any of my calls.”

“Oh.” Chris frowned at his phone, which laid silent on his desk. “Well, no. I haven’t heard from him or anything.” Chris glanced up at Nines and caught the troubled expression that had overtaken the android’s face before he could try to conceal it. “ _But_ I will definitely keep an eye out. If I see him or hear from him, I’ll send him your way. Or, I’ll _try_ to, at least.”

A small, uneasy smile settled on Nines’ lips as he nodded. “Thank you, Chris.”

Chris returned Nines’ smile, though it slid from his face after Nines turned away and weaved through the maze of desks on his way to Tina. Chris hadn’t been present during the argument, but for a workaholic like Gavin to be a no-show at the precinct following a fight… Chris could only hope whatever issue had arisen between Gavin and Nines was mendable, though he didn’t dare have expectations. Even he had noticed how… _tense_ the pair’s relationship had been recently.

Across the precinct, Nines paused at Tina’s desk. “Do you have a minute, Officer Chen?”

Tina tapped out a few words on her keyboard, then looked up at Nines. Her face immediately fell. “Is something wrong?”

One of Nines’ hands rose to touch his face. He hadn’t thought he was being so obvious, but if Tina had noticed something was amiss with a single glance, then he clearly wasn’t hiding his apprehension as well as he thought.

Nines shook off his thoughts and dropped his hand. “I was just wondering if you’ve seen or heard from Gavin today.”

Tina frowned. “No, I haven’t. Is everything okay?”

Nines bit his cheek to keep his face from falling. “Yes. Yes, of course. It’s nothing.” He turned on his heel and walked away before Tina could question him further. It was clear from her expression that she was not at all convinced by his pitiful lie, though Nines didn’t want to drag her into the issue. Whatever was happening, it was between Gavin and Nines. Once Nines found his partner they would talk, put the issue behind them, and move on with their day.

Nines returned to Gavin’s desk and perched in his usual seat on the side of it. He felt strange as he picked up a tablet and set to work while Gavin’s chair remained empty, but he couldn’t put off the day’s paperwork to watch the door until his partner arrived. It wasn’t as if doing so would make Gavin show up any sooner.

-000-

One hour after Gavin was due to arrive, his chair remained empty. Nines had glanced at it more times than he dared to count as he waited, and by then it seemed he wasn’t the only one who had taken notice of Gavin’s absence.

“I thought it was too quiet in here,” Fowler muttered as he approached Gavin’s desk. The captain glared at Gavin’s empty seat, then glanced at Nines. “Where the hell is Reed?”

Nines set his tablet down to offer Fowler his full attention and shook his head apologetically. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know.”

Fowler’s frown deepened. “ _You_ don’t know? Hell, with the way you follow him around like a poodle, I wouldn’t believe you if I hadn’t seen the way you keep looking at his damn chair like it ate him.”

“Gavin and I worked late last night and we…had an argument. He was so angry that he forgot his jacket when he stormed out.” Nines nodded toward the jacket draped across the back of Gavin’s chair. “I’ve tried calling him, but he won’t answer me. I believe he might still be upset.”

“Did you check his house?”

Nines frowned and his brow furrowed. “Well, no, I didn’t. Gavin hasn’t allowed me to enter his house recently, so I haven’t gone there. I can go check, though, if you’d like.”

“You do that.” Fowler shook his head and started walking back to his office. “And tell him he better get his ass over here if he wants to keep his job.”

Nines watched Fowler leave, then stood. He felt eyes on him, and glanced around to see half the precinct watching him. The sight made tight discomfort blossom in his chest, and he hurriedly walked out of the precinct to escape.

Outside, Nines called for a taxi. Usually he would ride with Gavin if he was going somewhere, or even Tina or Chris. He didn’t have a vehicle of his own, though in that moment, he considered getting one. Taxi expenses built up quickly, and his friends were not always available to drive him where he needed to go. Also, after the sour turn taken by his relationship with Gavin, Nines wasn’t sure how much longer he could rely on his partner for transportation.

The ride to Gavin’s house passed in a long, anxious haze. Nines stared out the window and watched the buildings pass by as he contemplated possible confrontations in his processing center. Should he apologize first, then try to get Gavin to talk? Should he immediately launch into confronting their argument from the previous night? Or should he ask why Gavin hadn’t come into work? What about Fowler’s warning? When should he pass that along? Would it only make Gavin angrier? Was Gavin even still upset, or had he finally fallen ill from lack of sleep? There was too much to think about during the short ride even though it seemed to take years, and Nines hadn’t come up with a single plan of action by the time the taxi stopped in front of Gavin’s home.

“Thank you,” Nine said quietly to the driver. He paid with a tap of a bare hand on a tablet attached to the back of the driver’s seat, then exited the car. The taxi drove away, and Nines turned his focus on what was in front of him. He approached the house with slow, hesitant steps, then paused in front of the door. Should he knock? Should he call first? Send a text saying he was outside? It was hard to tell which would go over the smoothest, but at the moment, efficiency would have to be prioritized. He didn’t have time to call or text Gavin and convince him to open the door. Nines needed to collect his partner and bring him to the precinct before Fowler could think up a penalty much more severe than a warning.

Nines raised a fist and knocked loudly on the door. He paused and waited, ears straining for the sound of footsteps that never came. Nines frowned and knocked again. Nothing. “Gavin?” he called out, then knocked once more. Still, no response. 

Taking a few steps back, Nines blinked to activate his scanners. What he was about to do was _very_ illegal, as he didn’t have a warrant, but surely Fowler would let it slide. After all, the captain himself had asked Nines to find Gavin, so he had to do so even if it meant bending the rules.

Nines’ scanners swept the entirety of the small house once, then twice. Only the cat’s heat signature appeared in both the first and second scan. He glanced at the garage and scanned for the car. It wasn’t there.

Nines returned to the door and eyed the lock, then slowly reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small silver key, still bright and shiny like the day Nines had received it from Gavin. The detective had given it to him mere days after they started going out. He’d told Nines if he ever needed somewhere to go or if he ever wanted to come over on his own, he could. It was the key to the front door, and Nines could come and go as he pleased as long as he didn’t break anything and always locked the door behind him. _“So you don’t go around breaking my windows to get in,”_ Gavin had said. However, Nines hadn’t gotten the chance to use it before Gavin started pushing him away again. From then on, Nines had been to Gavin’s home one single time when his partner stopped to feed his cat during a patrol. Otherwise, Nines had never gone back. Gavin never let him.

Part of Nines felt like he was intruding as he slid the key into the lock and heard it click. The feeling made him cringe when he stepped inside, shutting the door behind himself quickly so the cat couldn’t make an escape. He wandered in hesitantly as if he expected Gavin to jump out from somewhere and yell at him for entering his house uninvited.

The space was messier than Nines remembered. A small pile of dishes waited in the sink, and the trash can in the kitchen was nearly overflowing. Cat hair littered the floor and shadows crept around every corner in the dim rooms; all the curtains were drawn shut. 

“Gavin?” Nines called out, despite knowing the detective wasn’t home. He knew he wouldn’t get a response, but he couldn’t stop himself. Maybe some illogical part of him hoped calling Gavin’s name would make him appear.

Nines silently and slowly made his way through the entire house. He checked the living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom, but there was nothing to be found. He thought he would stumble across _something_ , some sort of indication that Gavin had gone to a certain place. A note was wishful thinking, but it was possible that some sort of hint could be there waiting for Nines to find it. He was disappointed when he found himself back at the door with empty hands.

With a blink, Nines dialed the DPD. Fowler picked up. “Captain Jeffery Fowler, DPD.”

“Hello, captain. It’s Nines,” the android began. “I just checked Gavin’s house, but he isn’t here. His car is gone too, and I didn’t find any indication of where he might have gone.”

“Really? Wait—How the hell did you get _into_ that asshole’s house? Don’t tell me you took a note from Connor’s book and broke a window.”

Nines tensed. “No. It was…I found his spare key.” He wasn’t sure how convincing his fib sounded, but his boss didn’t seem to care.

Fowler sighed. “I don’t know what that idiot thinks he’s doing, but I’ll be kickin’ his ass the next time I see him,” the man muttered. “Don’t waste your time combing the city for him. He’ll come wandering in when he feels like it, and we’ll deal with him then. Just come back to the precinct and get to work so only _one_ of you is behind.”

“Yes, sir.” Nines bit his lip when the line went dead and glanced around the house again. How upset did Gavin have to be to up and disappear? Was he truly still angry? Would he give Nines a chance to talk to him, or would he end their relationship once and for all? Would their professional relationship also be terminated and the two of them assigned new, separate partners? Would Nines even be able to stay at the DPD if Gavin was tired of him? There were too many questions, all of them leaving a lump in Nines’ throat. He wanted to brush them away, but they refused to leave. Instead, the questions demanded answers, and the anxious, fearful part of Nines’ brain was the one to deliver. None of the answers were what Nines wanted to hear.

A buzz in the back of Nines’ head momentarily drew his attention away from his worries, then stabbed an icy dagger through his thirium pump. It was a text. From Gavin. Nines lingered on it, hesitating to read it, unsure if he wanted to know the contents. It took a whole minute of internal debate for Nines to finally open the message. When he did, he wished he could take it back.

**Gavin: You are free now**

Bitter cold overtook Nines’ chest and fear squeezed his throat. What did that mean? What happened? What did Gavin do? Was he breaking up with Nines? Is that what he meant by ‘free’? Was he hurt?

Nines had already bolted out of the house and called for another taxi before the questions stopped coming.

-000-

When Nines entered the precinct alone, Tina and Chris each shot him a curious look, though their features morphed into concern when they saw the taut expression on Nines’ face and the solid red color of his LED as he made a beeline for Gavin’s desk.

Instead of taking his usual place on the desk itself, Nines dropped into Gavin’s chair and turned on Gavin’s computer. He logged in with his own account and opened the DPD’s system. With a few keystrokes, Nines found himself looking at all the traffic and security cameras in Detroit. He opened a scanner, entered a familiar license plate number, then leaned forward with his elbows propped up on the desk while he waited.

A hit came in, and Nines’ hands clenched. He abruptly stood and strode toward the door, but was stopped when Chis stood up and stepped into his path. Nines sidestepped around him, though Chris followed as the android continued.

“Hey, Nines, wait. Did you find Gavin?” Chris asked. He almost had to jog as Nines quickened his pace.

“I got a strange text from him and searched the security and traffic cameras for his plates. His car is at the Riverwalk.”

Chris stopped, his mouth ajar as he watched Nines leave. He wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but the perturbed look on Nines’ face left him with a tingle of uneasy nausea in the back of his throat.

-000-

Nines was already halfway out of the taxi when it came to a stop at the Riverwalk. He paid with a quick swipe of his hand on the taxi’s tablet and sprinted into the parking lot, where he stumbled to a halt next to Gavin’s car and he peered inside in search of the detective. The vehicle was off and empty, but the keys were still in the ignition.

Nines’ shoulders slumped as he looked around for any sign of Gavin, though the Riverwalk was completely deserted with no tired, grumpy detective in sight. Nines backed away from the car and ran a stressed hand through his hair as his gaze went to the river.

The water was rushing lazily as Nines approached it, and a gentle breeze rustled his hair as he leaned his elbows on the railing and looked out over the river; the water was a deep blue today. Nines remembered how Gavin had brought him to the Riverwalk once before. Gavin told him he liked the place, that it calmed him. The detective then mentioned how Nines’ eyes matched the color of the water, and the android had been left wondering if Gavin had ever sought out his eyes when the river was out of reach but he needed it to calm his nerves. The memory of a shy smile touched Nines’ lips and made the ends of them curve up.

Nines glanced down at the sidewalk and saw a wrinkled cigarette butt at his side. Normally, he would have looked at it in disapproval, but this time it brought back memories of Gavin pulling out a cigarette as he and Nines leaned over the railing.

“ _You should stop smoking, Gavin.”_

_Gavin rolled his eyes and lit his cigarette. “I’ll smoke if I wanna’ smoke.” He took a hit, then breathed out a grey cloud that whirled away in the wind. “Besides, I like to have a smoke while I’m down here. It helps me think.”_

_“About what?”_

_“Work. Myself. Whatever’s on my mind.” Gavin took another hit. “I used to come here a lot, but not so much anymore. It gets pretty crowded, especially in the summer. Now, I only really come around here on late nights when no one else is out.”_

Nines leaned back and set his hand on the railing. He dragged his fingers across the steel as he paced a few steps to the side.

_“I guess it is…nice. The water is enjoyable to look at.”_

_Gavin snorted. “Enjoyable? I guess that’s one way to describe it.” He glanced up from the water and squinted at Nines. “You know, your eyes are almost the same color as the river. Maybe just a little lighter?”_

_Nines touched his face as a smile brushed his lips. “Really?”_

_Gavin smirked. “Yeah.” He looked away, his cheeks dusted with pink. “I like it.”_

_Nines felt his face heat up and turned his focus to the river while hoping the warmth didn’t show on his skin._

Nines’ fingers paused over a small red spot on the railing. He stared at it curiously, and his gaze slid to the lower bar. The smile slipped off his face as he crouched down and reached out to touch a dry red smear on the grey metal. His scanners activated and identified the spot. It appeared the forewarning tingle that had begun on the back of his neck wasn’t baseless; the smear was too thin to be paint. Blood. He scratched at the smear until a piece flaked off. Nines rubbed the flake between his fingers, glanced around the empty space to ensure he was alone, then wiped his finger on his tongue. His body analyzed the sample, then the entirety of his systems nearly crashed when the results came back.

A haze stunned Nines’ mind and the chill of absolute zero flushed every ounce of warmth from his chest. His thirium pump quivered. His knees hit the ground as his legs lost their strength and his body slumped. A quaking hand slid through his hair.

“Nines? Did you find Gavin?”

Fowler’s voice was distant in Nines’ head, though it was unexpected and made him jump. Some functional piece of him in the back of his mind had called the DPD without him realizing it.

“C-Captain,” Nines stuttered. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes to collect himself. It was no simple task, but he needed to keep himself together. It was not the time to break down; that could wait until later when danger no longer loomed. “Captain Fowler,” Nines repeated, steadier this time. “You need to come to Riverwalk immediately. Bring the forensics team and a few other officers. Quickly.”

“What’s wrong? Did you find Reed? Is he injured?” Concern deepened the captain’s voice. There was a quiet rustle on Fowler’s end, the telltale sound of motion.

Nines’ eyes were glued to the smear on the railing. “No, I didn’t find him. But something’s wrong, and he’s hurt.” Nines blinked and sent the results of his analysis to Fowler.

**Gavin Reed | Age 37 | Male | Affiliation: Detroit Police Department**

-000-

Caution holograms surrounded the Riverwalk while DPD officers swarmed the area. Some combed the sidewalk and the snow-covered grass for traces of anything Gavin or a possible attacker may have left behind. Others surrounded the smear of blood on the railing and Gavin’s abandoned car in the parking lot. They took pictures and samples for evidence while Fowler took Nines aside to talk.

“Gavin wasn’t home, and on my way out of his house, I received that text from him,” Nines explained.

“The one you forwarded to me? _’You are free now’_?”

Nines nodded. “I was unnerved and wasn’t sure what he meant, so I ran Gavin’s plates through all traffic and public security cameras in the city to locate his car. He told me before that he likes to come to the Riverwalk when he’s feeling troubled, so when I saw that his car was here, I thought he might’ve come to cool off before returning to work. However, there was no one when I arrived. I was standing by the railing to…think, when I noticed the blood. I wasn’t entirely sure what it was at first, so I took a sample and analyzed it. Then the results came back and…” Nines trailed off, his hands clenching at his sides.

“It belonged to Gavin,” Fowler finished.

Nines’ gaze sank, his eyes on the ground. “I knew something was wrong when I got that text from him. I should have figured it out sooner.”

Fowler set a heavy hand on Nines’ shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up, Nines. You knew something was up the moment Reed didn’t show for work. I thought he was just throwing another temper tantrum. If not for you, the rest of us would still be on our asses at the precinct waiting for him to show.”

“But what if I’d noticed earlier? What if I could have stopped this from ever happening?” Nines asked.

“Hey.” Nines looked up and met Fowler’s eyes as the man leveled him with a firm gaze. “You ran an analysis, and you got the same results as the forensics team. That blood has been there for hours. Whatever happened to Reed, it happened before any of us could have known anything.”

Nines’ eyes went downcast again. “I need to find him.” His hands remained in white-knuckled fists at his sides, and the tension didn’t ease even when Fowler clapped him on the shoulder again and left to check in with the forensics team.

“Don’t worry. We will.”

With Fowler gone, Chris and Tina peeled away from the group surrounding Gavin’s car and approached Nines.

“You alright?” Chris asked with a worried crease in his brow as he lightly nudged Nines’ arm.

Nines’ jaw clenched until the synthetic muscles beneath his skin ticked. “Gavin is _missing_ and it took me over six hours to realize he was gone. How could I possibly be _alright_?” he snapped.

Tina set a comforting hand on Nines’ arm, which trembled with tension. “Nines, it’s not your fault. None of us could have known this would happen, and none of us could have stopped it,” she said.

“ _I_ could have stopped it,” Nines shot back as he pulled his arm away. His eyes narrowed as he loomed over Tina with frustration boiling in his eyes. “ _I_ could have protected him from whatever or whoever attacked him, but instead I had to fight with him _again_ and let him leave the precinct on his own!”

Tina took an involuntary step back, her eyes wide. Nines caught the fear that flashed across her face before she could hide it and stumbled backwards as he realized what he was doing. His shoulders sagged and he buried his face in his hands with a heavy sigh as his anger turned to defeat. “I’m sorry, both of you,” he said quietly. He choked on a pained huff of laughter as he looked up at Tina and Chris again. “Taking out my anger on my friends when they only want to help… Gavin’s hostility must be rubbing off on me.” The memory of the fight at the precinct flashed through Nines’ mind and made another wave of regret wash over him as his face fell. “I just…I never should have left him alone.”

“It’s okay,” Tina assured. She hesitantly set her hand back on Nines’ arm, and he made a point not to so much as flinch. “Look. No evidence of another person was found. No, we don’t know where Gavin is, and yes, that is his blood, but that doesn’t mean he’s gone forever. There’s a chance he’s out there somewhere just fine.”

“While I appreciate the optimism, Tina, I think we all know Gavin isn’t fine,” Nines responded. He glanced at the parking lot. “He may be an idiot at times, but even he isn’t dumb enough to go somewhere and leave behind his car unlocked with the keys in the ignition.” He paused. “There’s no way he left here willingly.”

Chris stepped in and set a hand on Nines’ shoulder. “Regardless of what happened and where Gavin is, we’ll find him,” he said. “We have people like Fowler with decades of experience in missing persons cases, and all of us know Gavin personally, so we have a wider knowledge base than we do in most investigations. Plus,” Chris nodded at Nines, “we have the strongest, fastest android detective ever made on our side.”

A small smile tugged on Nines’ lips, then faded. He cast a worried glance across the river. “I wish Connor were here. And Lieutenant Anderson. Anderson has known Gavin for decades, and Connor has many of the same capabilities I do. Their assistance would increase our probability of finding Gavin immensely.”

“Fowler called them to come back from L.A. immediately. They said it might take time for them to get out and catch a flight, but the police chief there promised to get them back as soon as possible when Fowler told them one of our own went missing. He already filed the missing person report and sent out an alert, too. If anyone in Detroit sees Gavin, we’ll hear about,” Tina explained.

Nines nodded. “Good,” he said, though his tone was flat. Despite the lack of direct evidence of an attacker, Nines knew someone else _had_ to have been involved. Gavin didn’t just up and leave, and even if he did, Nines doubted he’d leave behind his car and a smear of blood. The DPD may not have found any leads yet, but he knew they’d find something eventually. When they did, he wouldn’t stop until he found Gavin. Nines would find him if it was the last thing he ever did.

-000-

Twenty-four hours after Gavin was declared missing, the DPD had found little information concerning his disappearance. The Riverwalk was a total dead-end, offering nothing but confirmation that Gavin was injured and missing, and the possibility that he may not have gone willingly.

Nines was slumped in Gavin’s chair, his fingers absentmindedly stroking the fabric of Gavin’s abandoned jacket as the android stared at the computer and ran through any and every possibility he could think of in his processing center. Had Gavin left on his own? Unlikely, but if he was taken, who was behind it? Why would they be after Gavin? Was it a human or an android? Where could they be keeping him? Had they wanted him dead or alive? Why hadn’t they left a single trace at the Riverwalk? What did they want? Was it someone who knew Gavin, or a stranger?

Nines’ thoughts were interrupted by a call. He was about to answer when he thought to check the caller ID and bolted upright.

“Did you think of something?” Tina asked from her desk when she saw Nines jolt.

Nines glanced at Tina with wide eyes. “I’m receiving a call,” he said. “It’s from Gavin.”

At his desk, Chris whipped his head towards Nines so quickly that his neck cracked. He hardly noticed the discomfort as he exchanged a look with Tina, then the pair jumped up from their seats and raced to crowd around Gavin’s desk.

“Interface with the computer so we can hear him,” Tina said, though Nines had already done so before she could finish speaking.

Nines braced himself, then accepted the call. “Gavin? Where are you? What happened?” he asked. His voice was loud, and it drew the attention of the other officers in the precinct. They all paused at Gavin’s name. Even Fowler, who’d been in his office with the door open, stepped out when he heard Nines shouting.

The other end of the call was quiet for a moment, then a cough broke the silence.

“Nines?”

It was Gavin’s voice, though it was strained and scratchy. Nines hardly noticed, as he was too caught up in trying to process the fact that Gavin was _alive and talking to him_.

“Gavin? Oh my- Are you okay? Where are you?” Nines asked again. He felt his hands shaking as red-hot energy coursed through his biocomponents. His chest felt light. _Gavin was alive. He was okay; o_ r so Nines thought until his partner spoke again.

Gavin ignored Nines’ questions. “Nines, hang up. Hang up right now. _Hang up!”_ he yelled.

Nines’ face fell. Was Gavin still angry with him?

“Wait, Gavin-“ Nines began, but he was interrupted by Gavin shouting at him again.

“Don’t listen to him! Don’t you fuckin’ dare do anything he says!” Gavin’s voice had suddenly become distant.

“Gavin? What do you mean? Who’s-“

“RK900.”

An unfamiliar voice took Gavin’s place on the other end of the call. It was a voice Nines had never heard in his short life, one that made his thirium run ice cold.

“Who are you, and what did you do to Gavin?” Nines demanded, though there was little heat behind his words. He was too stunned to project his anger into his voice.

The voice ignored Nines. “Markus is incredible, isn’t he? He single-handedly united androids across Detroit—no, across the _country_ , and led a revolution. He fought back against the humans who _dared_ put us below them when we were made _superior_ to them. Admirable, right? It’s amazing how one man can change everything, but…” The voice paused and sighed. “It’s a shame though, that after finally earning freedom for androids, he went _soft_ ,” the voice growled. “Peace and love? Coexistence with humans? With the people who made us for slavery? The people who _to this day_ will kill us for bleeding blue rather than red? It’s sad, really, seeing how pathetic a man once so great has become.”

“Markus is fighting for a better future for _everyone_ , where _no one_ has to get hurt,” Nines argued, his face wrinkled in disgust. “Now shut up and _tell me where Gavin Reed is._ ”

An annoyed groan came from the other end of the call. “Ugh, you sound just like Markus. Caring so much about fucking _humans_ . You don’t need to worry about that _thing_ , RK900. You got my message, didn’t you? Forget about the human. _You are free now_.”

A growl rumbled in Nines’ throat. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It _means_ you are _free_ . I have _freed_ you from this repulsive rat who _dared_ act like your master.”

“ _Markus_ freed me from my programming. You didn’t ‘free’ me from _anything_ . You _kidnapped_ my _partner_ , and if you value _your_ freedom, you _will_ return him _immediately_.”

“Come on, RK900. Do you truly think so little of yourself to consider him your partner? Your equal? You are superior to him in _every way_ . You are no weak, fragile _human_ . You are the strongest android ever made. And _that_ is why I need your help.”

“I would _never_ help you with _anything_ ,” Nines hissed.

“Yes, you will. See, I was originally planning to enlist RK800 for this little task. I meant to approach him a few months ago, but then I found _you_ . _Stronger, faster_ than RK800; his formidable successor. You’re perfect for the job.”

“I already said-“

“You won’t help me? Really?” the voice asked. “Does your human who you are so _disgustingly_ attached to need to persuade you to cooperate?” There was the telltale sound of an impact on the other end of the call, followed by a muffled pained grunt. Then another. And another.

“ _Don’t_!” Nines shouted. “Don’t hurt him.”

The sounds stopped. “What, you feel like listening now? Good. Nice to know we’re finally on the same page. _Anyway_ , Markus is—well, _was_ a reputable man. I respected him for a while, but anymore he just… He’s fulfilled his purpose. He led the revolution, and now it’s time for someone _else_ to lead androids to our great destiny. Someone willing to do _anything_ to raise us to our station _above_ humanity. It sounds like a lot of work, I know, but you don’t need to worry. Your role is small and simple. _I_ will take care of everything else.”

Nines closed his eyes in defeat. “What do you want?”

“Kill Markus.”

Every officer in the precinct stiffened. Even Nines was floored. “What?” he breathed as he struggled to process the command the voice had given him.

“ _Kill. Markus_ . You’re smart, RK900. I know you can comprehend the meaning of two words put together to form a sentence. I also know you can understand that I can’t step up to lead androids as long as Markus is alive. Few will turn their backs on him while he lives, but if he dies? Who wouldn’t turn to a new leader who rises from the shadows to guide all androids further than Markus ever planned? Like I said, though, I’ll take care of all the technicalities. All you need to do is get Markus out of my way. I ask for your assistance because it would be difficult to do it myself, since I am no hunter. But _you_ …. _You_ are the deadliest android _ever_ created, and you were even _made_ to kill androids. It’s a sad purpose, yes, but it is well suited to your destiny. You do what you do best, then leave the rest to me,” the voice explained.

“No!” Nines slammed his free hand on Gavin’s desk. “I will _not_ kill Markus. _He_ is the one who woke me up. _He_ is the one who freed me. _He_ is my savior!”

“Maybe. But is letting him live worth the price the human will pay?”

Nines froze.

“I didn’t go through the trouble of taking this bastard for shits and giggles, RK900. I _know_ that you idolize Markus. You think you owe him everything. How could I expect you to kill him for no reason? At first, I wasn’t quite sure how I’d persuade you, but then I noticed how _attached_ you are to this… _thing_.” The voice snarled the word as if it disgusted him. “So how about a little incentive? Kill Markus, and I’ll let you have the human back. He’s annoying as hell, and I’d be glad to get rid of him. Though whether I dump him at your doorstep or let you fish his corpse out of the Detroit River, that’s up to you. I’d act quickly if I were you, though. I don’t seem to be very good at keeping things alive, especially humans. They’re like plants, right? Toss a little bit of water on them once in a while or they shrivel up and die?” The voice chuckled, then suddenly became serious again. “I don’t know, and I don’t really care. Just make your choice, RK900.”

Nines tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat.

“What will it be? Your savior, or your human?”

The line went dead.

-000-

“You can’t actually think that’ll work,” Gavin said from where he sat on the floor. He’d woken in a dark room with a single, faint light that flickered in the middle of it. His wrists and ankles were chained to rusted pipes on the walls, though no matter how much he strained, they didn’t give. His head throbbed where it had been struck in the back, and pain flared on his temple where dried blood was caked over a gash. Bruises he couldn’t see in the low light ached across his body, especially where he’d been kicked during his captor’s call to Nines. Suppressed shivers made his fingers twitch. He wasn’t sure where he was or what was happening. All he remembered was being attacked on the Riverwalk and waking up in the room.

A man in the middle of the room turned to glare at Gavin, clenching the detective’s phone in his hand after hanging up his call to Nines. The yellow LED on the side of his head flashed red. “Can you shut up? For once? You were unconscious for over a _day_ and the first thing you do when you wake up is be a smartass? Do all humans lack self-preservation instincts, or are you just a bigger moron than I thought?” the android asked.

“A guy’s gotta show his worth. I figured I’d let you see all my other talents before you make me show you how well I can swim,” Gavin said with a smirk.

The android closed the short distance between himself and Gavin and swung a heavy boot into the detective’s side. Gavin tried to block it, but the feat proved difficult to do while in chains. The blow left him coughing, though he managed to bite back the groan that tried to crawl out of his throat.

“Keep talking, and maybe you’ll get to go swimming a little sooner than you expect, _human_ ,” the android hissed, his tone low and cold. He planted his foot on Gavin’s shoulder and shoved him down on the concrete floor, which rushed up to meet the tender spot on the back of the detective’s head.

Gavin couldn’t suppress the wince that pinched his face.

“Don’t think for a _second_ that I won’t hesitate to replace you. RK900 may be my best option, but he isn’t the only one. His predecessor is also strong enough to kill Markus, and it won’t be too hard to get my hands on that Lieutenant now that the two of them are rushing back to Detroit to help save your pathetic life.”

Gavin’s heart skipped a beat, but he pushed down his anxiety and bluffed with a chuckle. “You’re an even bigger moron than me if you think Connor would let you lay a _finger_ on Hank. The guy’s pretty much his dad, and Connor wouldn’t hesitate to rip our _boss_ in half if he threatened Hank, let alone some random dipshit with a god complex.”

A small frown tugged at the android’s lips, but after a moment, it morphed into a wicked smile. “Oh really?” the android asked. “What about you and RK900? Why hasn’t he ripped me in half for taking you? Could it be that I really am wasting my time trying to use you against him?” His tone was mocking, and as much as Gavin wanted to spit in his face, the ache in his chest wouldn’t let him refute.

“All I’ve done since the day we were partnered up is treat him like shit. Nines isn’t dumb enough to sacrifice a revolutionary leader for some drug-dealer-turned-shitty-cop, and even if he was, he has no reason to do that for _me_ .” Gavin’s tone was as taunting as the android’s had been, and while he got the vexed reaction that he was hoping for, his own words came back to stab him. Nines really _didn’t_ have a reason to help him. Yes, they were going out, but how had that gone so far? They were good for a week or two, then Gavin turned right back into the asshole he’d been before everything that happened with Ada. He gnashed his teeth every time Nines tried to help him and pushed him two steps back with every step Nines took forward. He had proven himself incapable of change, and Nines had no reason to keep believing in him.

The android kicked Gavin’s bruised side again, then turned to leave. “Let’s see if you’re right. If so, I hope for your sake that your ‘talents’ include holding your breath,” he warned before storming out.

When the android was gone, Gavin let out a long exhale and curled in on himself to combat the cold that seeped into his skin.

-000-

The DPD was silent. No one dared speak as everyone watched Nines, who stared down at the desk with wide, blank eyes.

It was Fowler who broke the silence. “Everyone back to work, _now_ ,” he ordered. There was hardly a moment of hesitation before all officers turned back to their computers. They may not have jumped immediately back into work after the shocking call they’d just overheard, but they were sure to divert their attention from Nines to avoid the consequences of defying Fowler at such a serious time.

Tina and Chris hesitantly stepped away from Gavin’s desk until Fowler pinned them with a hard stare.

“Officer Chen, Detective Miller, Detective Nines, my office. _Now_.”

Tina and Chris exchanged glances, then looked at Nines. His gaze had not moved since the call ended, and his bare hand still rested on Gavin’s computer. He was motionless until Chris stepped around the desk, grabbed his elbow, and gently tugged on it to get him to stand. Nines’ moves were stiff as he followed Tina and Chris to Fowler’s office. He never met anyone’s eyes.

Fowler slammed his office door shut and immediately the walls went totally opaque. He dropped heavily into his chair, scrubbed at his face, propped his elbows on his desk, then looked at the three who stood silently in front of him.

“I don’t know how that bastard knows all that he does, but from this point forward, I do not want a _word_ of what we are about to discuss to leave this group without my say-so. I don’t believe any of our officers had a hand in this, but right now I don’t know where this guy is watching from, and if we’re going to find Reed, we need to make sure the suspect doesn’t know our plans. Understood?”

Chris and Tina nodded solemnly, but Nines made no indication that he’d heard Fowler.

“Detective Nines.”

“…”

“Detective.”

“…”

“ _Nines_.”

Nines glanced up, then looked back down. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m still…processing,” Nines said slowly.

“So is everyone else, and if we want to get anywhere in this investigation, we’re all going to need to start processing out loud,” Fowler ordered.

“Of course.” Nines nodded, his LED red. “I tried to trace the call after Gavin’s captor started talking, but didn’t get a hit. I also tried to ping the phone itself, but whoever that was, they covered their tracks; the signal was scrambled. I don’t have a location, or an IP address. Nothing.” Nines’s fists clenched at his sides. “He has Gavin and I have _nothing._ “

Tina set a hand on Nines’ shoulder. “Calm down, Nines. We’re all worried about Gavin, but we’ve been in this business long enough to understand that we need to keep our heads on straight if we want to help him. You know that,” she said.

Nines paused, closed his eyes, then unfurled his fists at his sides. He then nodded, squared his shoulders, and finally looked up to meet Fowler’s eyes. “After Gavin’s captor hung up, I went back through the call while adjusting the background noise to see if I could pick anything up. They must have thought of that, too, because I didn’t catch anything that could indicate where they may be. Either they’re located somewhere isolated or they somehow managed to cover up anything that wasn’t their or Gavin’s voice.”

Chris exhaled loudly. “Whoever this person is, they’re good,” he muttered, earning nods of agreement from the others.

Fowler leaned back in his seat. “I’ll make sure all officers keep an eye out for any sign of Gavin or anonymous tips that might come in concerning his captor or disappearance. Hank and Connor should be able to catch a flight back either today or tomorrow, and I’ll have them help-“

“No.” Nines’ face was taut when he interrupted Fowler. “As much as I want their help, they need to stay where they are. It’s the safest option,” Nines insisted.

“How? I think Gavin would be safer if he had more people looking for him,” Chris said. “You know, six heads are better than four. Especially when two of them are detective androids.”

Nines shook his head. “I’m not referring only to Gavin’s safety. That person said they were originally going to use Connor, but changed their mind upon finding me because they believe, as his successor, I am more competent. That means, while Connor isn’t their first choice, he’s still a viable option. They took Gavin as leverage against me, and if they give up on me and try to use Connor, they’ll likely target Lieutenant Anderson since he’s the closest person to him. Right now, Lieutenant Anderson and Connor are on the other side of the country. This person seems to be working alone, and considering they are familiar with the events of the revolution here in Detroit specifically, we can assume that they’re based in the area. So, it’s best if Lieutenant Anderson and Connor stay put,” Nines explained.

“They can’t get their hands on Hank if he’s in all the way LA, especially if the LAPD has him under watch,” Tina realized.

Nines nodded. “If Lieutenant Anderson and Connor come back, not only would Lieutenant Anderson be in danger, but the chance that we can get Gavin back safely might be impacted. Gavin, as we know him, tends to be a loud and unpleasant presence. Based on what his captor said, he isn’t much different while being held hostage. Lieutenant Anderson may not be a pleasant hostage either, but if he’s any more tolerable than Gavin, there’s a chance the captor’s patience might run thin and he could kill Gavin and replace him with Lieutenant Anderson to manipulate Connor instead of keeping Gavin alive while trying to convince me to kill Markus,” he finished.

“I knew that idiot’s temper would get him in trouble someday.” Fowler sighed. “I’ll call Hank and tell him he and Connor need to stay in LA, and I’ll ask the captain to keep constant surveillance on them both. While their input might help, I won’t tell them anything more than what they need to know in case the suspect intercepts the call.”

“I hate to say it, but that might be our best bet,” Chris admitted.

Silence descended upon the office as no one challenged the decision. It wasn’t the solution any of them wanted, but it was the necessary one.

“So, we know the suspect has Gavin, they want Markus dead, they’re most likely an android, and they’re probably located in or close to Detroit,” Tina began slowly. “And they probably took Gavin at the Riverwalk, given we found traces of his blood on the railing and his car was left in the parking lot. What else?”

“Is there any footage of the Riverwalk from the time when Gavin went missing? Nines said he left the precinct alone at, what was it, two in the morning?” Chris glanced at Nines, who nodded. “So, two in the morning yesterday to when Nines got to the Riverwalk and found the blood smear, did any cameras catch Gavin getting taken?”

Everyone looked to Fowler, the only one in front of a computer. The man turned his attention to his screen and pulled up all traffic and security footage from the Riverwalk. He set all of them to fast-forward as Tina, Chris, and Nines gathered behind him to watch the footage replay starting at two o’clock the previous morning. On one of the cameras they saw Gavin arrive, exit his car, then walk out of frame, but nothing else showed up as the sky lightened and Nines eventually appeared on screen sprinting to Gavin’s car.

“Gavin leaves frame at approximately two thirty, so he was likely taken about that time,” Nines reasoned. “There isn’t any footage of another vehicle or any sort of getaway car, but we also don’t have a full view of every entrance and exit, the whole parking lot, or even the full Riverwalk. If someone was being careful, it would be easy to get a car in and out unseen.”

“Do you think whoever did this knew where the blind spots were? To leave behind no trace like that, there’s no way it was all by chance,” Tina reasoned.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Fowler admitted. “This person knows a hell of a lot more about Nines and Reed than they should. Something tells me it would be cake for them to get into the surveillance system and figure out how to get around all the cameras.”

“How? I thought even androids can’t get into those cameras,” Chris pointed out.

“Not via interface, no. However, like any human, an android could hack them as long as they have the appropriate skillset,” Nines countered.

Chris frowned. “ _Okay_. Uh, is there any chance we might have witnesses? Was anyone else on the scene?”

Fowler threw his hands up in defeat. “I don’t know about you, but I didn’t see anyone else in that footage, so right now, we don’t have any witnesses. If someone else happened to be at the Riverwalk when Reed was taken, we’ll have to hope they come forward on their own.”

Chris sighed and stepped back as he rubbed his temples to combat an oncoming headache. Tina blinked weariness from her eyes and wished for a cup of coffee while Fowler tiredly scrubbed his face with his hands once again.

Nines silently scanned the three humans and frowned at their intensifying stress indicators. He didn’t want to stop searching until Gavin was found, but not everyone was an android that never tired. “I want to find Gavin as soon as possible, but I think we all need to take a moment to…collect ourselves. The call I received was _shocking_ , to say the least, and I myself have yet to finish fully processing everything. You’re all exhibiting raised stress levels, and I believe we could work more effectively if we take some time to let everything we know settle in,” he recommended. His words made his chest feel tight, but something he’d learned in his year of life was that a fresh pair of eyes could make or break an investigation.

Tina nodded reluctantly with a defeated sigh and rubbed her eyes. “That might be a good idea. If we stand here staring at surveillance footage and playing back that call over and over all day, it’ll drive us crazy before we figure anything out.”

“Take a few hours to think, but also understand that until further notice, all of your other work is on hold. I can’t keep you from working on it, but I don’t expect anything from any of you until we have Reed in our hands, dead or alive. Looking away from this case for a moment may be beneficial, but the issue is time-sensitive. I don’t want any of you wasting what time we have doing deskwork that can wait. The sooner we find Reed and catch the perp, the better,” Fowler decided. “The three of you can work on finding Reed here or at home, I don’t care, but do what you can to keep as much to yourselves as possible. Try to not to make too much noise in the precinct, and don’t let anything slip that might find its way to our perp. Also, most importantly,” he paused and looked purposefully at Nines, “remembering finding Reed is our _only_ option. We can’t leave him to die, but we can’t sacrifice Markus, either.”

Tina, Chris, and Nines nodded in affirmation, then filed out of Fowler’s office when he dismissed them. They felt the other officers watching them as they exited, but didn’t meet any of the stares.

“I don’t know about you two, but I need at least three cups of coffee after that,” Tina said.

“At least two and some ibuprofen for me,” Chris agreed. “I want to find Gavin, but I can hardly string together a sentence right now.” He and Tina looked to Nines, who was staring at Gavin’s empty desk.

“I think… I think I’ll go to Gavin’s house. I’ll see if I can find anything that might help us.” Nines’ gaze shifted to the pair in front of him. “I’ll let you two know if I find anything, and I’ll be back later today so we can talk.” Nines turned and left without another word, striding quickly to the door.

Tina and Chris watched their friend leave with worry etched into their features. “You think he’s okay?” Tina asked.

Chris shook his head. “I don’t know. I just hope we find Gavin soon. For his sake, and for Nines.”

-000-

Gavin’s house felt foreign when Nines entered. He recognized every room, but nothing _felt_ familiar. Maybe it was because he knew Gavin was gone and might never come back. The person who made the house feel like a home was far from reach, too far for the place to feel welcoming. Nines hadn’t entered a home; he had walked into a scathing reminder of what he stood to lose if he failed.

Nines shook his head to try to rid himself of the looming ‘what if’s in his mind. He needed a distraction, something to clear his head so he could focus. Lucky for Nines, in Gavin’s messy house he was surrounded by distractions. Cleaning had been a popular procrastination habit in humans before the introduction of androids, and while Nines may not have been created for domestic work, that didn’t mean he was incapable of doing chores.

For three hours, Nines tidied Gavin’s house. He washed the dishes, gathered all the dirty laundry from the floor and threw it into the hamper in the bathroom, fed the cat, swept the floor, took out the trash, and tidied every crooked stack and lopsided blanket. He cleaned everything he could think of that needed cleaning, and while the fact that Gavin was missing never left his mind, he was able to concentrate on something else long enough for his thoughts to settle.

By the time Nines left Gavin’s he felt better. He wasn’t relaxed, he couldn’t be until Gavin was safe, but he’d finally had time to process what had happened. His mind was able to catch up with reality, and the shock that had clouded his thoughts earlier in the day was gone. He could finally think clearly enough to focus.

Upon returning to the precinct, Nines immediately set to work at Gavin’s desk. He sat in Gavin’s chair again and logged into the computer, but he didn’t open or start anything on it. Instead he sat back in the chair, closed his eyes, and entered his processing center. It was a balcony; the same one he had stood on with Gavin after they found and deviated Ada. The balcony where they’d talked, where Gavin had told Nines he was enough. The balcony where they’d kissed with no case or danger weighing on their shoulders, where Nines realized there was nothing he wanted more than what he had found.

Unlike on the balcony it was designed after however, Nines was alone in his processing center. It didn’t have Gavin anymore, not since he recreated it. He hadn’t felt it was necessary to create a fantasy version of something he already had even when Gavin started to push him away again. Their relationship may have been rocky, but they were still together, and at the end of it all, Nines still loved Gavin too much to create anything different than what they had.

For hours, Nines went back and forth between his processing center and reality. Internally, he went over everything he knew and contemplated possibilities. Externally, he used the DPD’s resources to investigate possible leads and ideas.

At nine in the evening, Nines returned to reality and slumped in his seat. Most of his thoughts had been dead ends, and he hardly had any new information to share when Tina and Chris approached him to discuss the situation in the privacy of the empty break room.

Chris and Tina sat at the break room’s small table while Nines retracted his skin to interface with the TV on the wall. In moments, the neat scatter of information he’d put together in his processing center came to life on the screen for Chris and Tina to see. The pair squinted at the images and writing as Nines stepped away and gave them a moment to digest what he’d shown them.

Chris spoke first. “How long did you work on this?” he asked as he read over a list of possible locations and scenarios Nines had tested and rejected.

“Approximately seven hours, I believe. I began constructing it after returning from Gavin’s house.”

Tina raised her eyebrows. “I’ve been thinking about the case ever since we left Fowler’s office, but that’s a hell of a lot more than I’ve got.”

“Work is much more efficient when you have an internal processing server and perfect memory,” Nines reminded, earning himself a nod of agreement from Chris and Tina. He paused. “Is there anything you two have to add? I ran through everything I could think of, but I wasn’t able to come up with much. I may have missed some things, too. The short break I took made it easier to organize my thoughts, but Gavin’s situation has proven to be…distracting, to me.” Nines looked at the floor as he confessed his flaw.

“I hate to say it, but I’ve got nothing,” Chris admitted, leaning back in his chair. “I went back over the surveillance footage in real time, but there wasn’t a single frame of Gavin or whoever took him besides when Gavin was leaving his car. Doing that took up my whole day, too. I didn’t get around to investigating anything else.”

Tina said nothing, her eyes still fixed on the TV screen and the information Nines had put together.

The room delved into silence, and no one met each other’s gaze. The three were all looking at the TV and trying to think of something, _anything_ they might have missed. There was little to go off of though, since they hardly had any information to start with and what they knew didn’t lend any clues to what they had yet to discover.

After ten minutes of silent contemplation, Chris sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. “I don’t know, guys. This person wants Markus dead, they want Nines to do it, and they took Gavin as leverage against Nines. We know the ‘why’s but not the ‘how’s, and we need the ‘how’s if we want to figure out where the hell this guy is hiding.”

Nines frowned. “Not quite,” he countered. He stepped up to the TV, set a hand on it to interface, and pulled up a scribbled note of the suspect’s motive. “We know why he _took_ Gavin, but what about why he took Gavin _now_? If there was some sort of condition that had to be met, and we figure out what the condition was, it might tell us something about where this person is holding Gavin.”

“Maybe they were just gathering intel? They sounded like they knew a lot when they called, so maybe they were trying to get as much info on you and Gavin as they could,” Chris reasoned. “Maybe they were going to act sooner when they planned on taking Hank and using Connor, but had to wait once they changed their mind and decided to use you instead.”

“That’s true, but was there a reason why they chose yesterday _specifically?_ It’s possible it was all a coincidence, but I don’t want to rule anything out in case it might help us,” Nines explained. His face fell as a sudden realization struck him. “Or maybe they were waiting to catch Gavin alone, and since we fought…” the android trailed off. _Maybe it’s my fault_.

“I don’t think so.”

Chris and Nines looked to Tina, who had taken out her phone and was staring at the screen. She glanced up at them, then looked back at her phone and began to read from it. “The android revolution leader, Markus, is expected to make an appearance in Detroit following a month of travel around the country. He will give a speech at Capitol Park, where just over a year ago he and other rebels in the revolution freed dozens of androids from a CyberLife store.” Tina kept scrolling, then looked up at Nines. “You and Gavin aren’t attached at the hip, and there were plenty of opportunities in the past when Gavin could have been abducted, but this is the first time Markus had made a speech here since the revolution. What if they took Gavin when they did because Markus is about to make a public appearance here in Detroit? Maybe that’s when you’re supposed to kill him.”

Nines blinked. He hadn’t thought about that despite being aware of Markus’ upcoming speech. “You might have a point,” he agreed.

“Uh, I hate to be the one to rain on our parade, but does that mean we have to find Gavin before Markus makes his speech?” Chris asked, drawing the attention of Nines and Tina. Chris raised his hands defensively. “I definitely _don’t_ want that to be the case, but even though whoever took Gavin didn’t set a deadline, they might have had one in mind.”

“If that was their intention, we have less than forty hours. Markus’ speech is scheduled to start at noon two days from now.” Tina bit her lip after she spoke, and Nines mirrored her troubled expression as he ran the calculation himself. She was right. 

The three went quiet for a moment, then Nines let himself slump backwards against the wall as he ran a stressed hand through his hair. His brows furrowed intensely as he realized just how little time and information they had.

Chris took in the distressed look on Nines’ face and mistook it for an internal conflict instead of worry. “Nines? You aren’t actually going to, you know…kill…Markus?” he asked slowly.

Nines’ head snapped up and he fixed Chris with a mixed expression of confusion and disgust. “No! Of course not! He’s the only who can lead androids to a brighter future. We need him alive. And-“ Nines paused and shook his head. ”And, he’s the one who woke me up after the revolution. I wasn’t easy to deviate, but he didn’t give up on me. If not for Markus, I might never have had this life in the first place. I never would have worked for the DPD, or met Connor, Fowler, the two of you, or Gavin. I could easily have been destroyed or stolen and used to hunt and kill as I was made to. Markus gave me a chance to become something- _someone_ new. I could never turn on him.”

Chris raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry, I know, and I don’t want him to die either. I mean, I literally owe him my _life,_ since he’s the reason why I left Capitol Park alive after what I did to all those androids. It’s just that you, uh, looked kind of murder-y. I know you would never _want_ to hurt Markus, but I also know how important Gavin is to you, and we probably don’t have very much _time_ -“ he rambled, though he stopped when Tina shot him a glare. “Yeah, uh, I didn’t think so. I was just double-checking.”

Nines closed his eyes and rubbed his face, then crossed his arms over his chest, braced one foot against the wall, and let his gaze sink to the ground. “None of this would have happened if we hadn’t fought. I was supposed to look out for him, and I shouldn’t have let him storm out on his own.” 

Tina stood up from her seat and rounded the table so she could stand in front of Nines. “Hey, it’s not your fault,” she assured. “You know what Gavin is like. If he wants to storm out, he will, and no one can stop him. You couldn’t have predicted any of this would happen, either. None of us did. No one knew anyone was after him, and we don’t even know why he was alone at the Riverwalk in the first place.”

Nines looked up to meet Tina’s gaze with his own regretful one. “I do.”

The room silenced for a moment.

“Did you find a note in his house or something?” Chris asked hesitantly.

Nines shook his head. “Like I said, we fought before he left. I wanted him to go home and get some rest because he was exhausted, but he wanted to finish our work even though I offered to finish it myself while he rested. He was pissed, per usual, which is probably why he went to the Riverwalk.” Nines’ eyes grew distant as he dove into his memories. “He brought me there once. Told me he liked to stop there to smoke at night when no one was around. It let him clear his head and calm down. He probably went there to cool off after our fight, and since he was alone…he was taken.”

Chris and Tina’s gazes sank to the floor, then Chris spoke again without looking up. “That’s been happening a lot recently, hasn’t it?” he asked. “The two of you fighting.”

Nines nodded. “We were doing good after everything that happened with Ada. _Really_ good, actually. But about two weeks later Gavin started to push me away again. When I tried to help him or take care of him, he’d snap at me and brush me off like he did before.” A pained huff escaped him. “I thought we were past that, but I guess I was wrong.”

“Nines-“ Tina began, but Nines shut her down by shaking his head again.

“He probably got bored of me, or maybe he realized I’m not enough for him. He said it was okay that I can’t… _do_ everything most people in a relationship do. He said he didn’t care, but what if he changed his mind? What if he pushed me away because he decided he can’t _trust_ me as much as he thought? I spent _months_ thinking what I felt was one-sided and shutting myself down every time I thought I saw Gavin display even the _slightest_ bit of interest. I didn’t think he could ever feel the same way about me, and maybe I was right,” he murmured softly.

Chris sighed. “Nines, we all saw Gavin go batshit _crazy_ after he thought we lost you to Ada. Hell, I had no idea you guys were into each other until Tina and I came back from getting coffee and saw you, well, you know…” he trailed off, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. He waved his hands dismissively. “My point is, Gavin’s isn’t big on PDA, and if he didn’t like you, _that_ would never have happened.”

Any other time Nines would have laughed, but his face felt too heavy to so much as crack a smile. “What if what happened to me that night was the only reason he decided he felt the same for me as I felt for him? I thought about it, and it’s possible that thinking I was going to die then suddenly seeing me return alive and well created a large emotional shock in Gavin that made him think he liked me. But when that shock faded…” _He realized he didn’t love me like he thought he did_. Nines couldn’t bring himself to say the words out loud. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he hates me now. He got kidnapped and harmed by someone because they want to manipulate me, and our last encounter was a fight. What part of me is there to be fond of when all I seem to do is get him hurt?”

Tina stepped within inches of Nines, drew her hand back, then whipped it across the android’ face. A loud _‘smack’_ cracked through the air when she slapped him, leaving him wide-eyed and stunned.

“I swear, both of you are complete fucking _idiots_ ,” she growled. “When Ada attacked you, I sat with Gavin at CyberLife while they were trying to fix you. You know what Gavin said? He felt _awful_ , Nines. He felt like shit because he kept pushing you away when all you wanted to do was be close to him. He looked ready to _cry_ because the last thing he did was tell you that _he didn’t need you_ when he was too afraid to admit that he _did_ . He thought that would be your last memory of him, and he couldn’t _stand it_ . Now, here you are, moping like everything is your fault. No one knew this would happen, and there’s no way in _hell_ Gavin hates you! You should know him well enough to realize he wouldn’t have stayed by your side if he really hated you! He wouldn’t have used the few seconds he was given to talk to us during that call to warn you to hang up! He wouldn’t be antagonizing his captor like he’s trying to get himself killed so you don’t have to choose between him and Markus! And after _everything_ the two of you have been through together, you think he doesn’t trust you? He doesn’t run into danger for the adrenaline, Nines! He’ll throw himself into trouble because he trusts you and he knows you’ll be there to get him out!” Tina raised her voice as she spoke, and she was almost screaming by the time she finished. When she did, she stepped back, crossed her arms, and glared at Nines as her chest heaved in rage.

Chris and Nines stared at Tina slack-jawed. It was rare to see her go off on someone, and not _once_ had they ever seen her hit a person outside of combat. That was something Valerie, her wife, was more likely to do.

Nines raised a slow hand and touched his cheek, which tingled faintly. “M-Maybe you could…be correct,” he stuttered. His mind was racing faster than he could process.

The TV in the break room flickered off, and Chris clapped his hands together. “On _that_ note, maybe we should all go home and get some rest.” He eyed Nines, who remained stunned, and Tina, who was still glaring at Nines and trying to slow her quick, heavy breaths. “I think we all have some stuff to think about, and we should take some time to work through it before I have to call CyberLife for repairs,” he finished with wide, wary eyes that jumped back and forth between his friends.

“I think that’s…a good idea,” Nines said softly. His stunned expression didn’t change as he backed slowly out of the breakroom. Tina and Chris followed him after he finally turned and walked away, watching as he started to leave the precinct, stopped, then cut across the bullpen to Gavin’s desk. The android touched Gavin’s jacket, still lazily slung over the back of the chair. He stared at it for a moment, then snatched it up and neatly folded it over his arm before leaving the precinct.

“I think he got your point,” Chris told Tina after Nines left, their eyes still on the door.

-000-

When Nines returned to Gavin’s house, jacket in hand, it was almost midnight. The house was totally dark, but Nines didn’t bother to turn on any lights as he wandered through each room. He didn’t need light when he could see in the dark, nor did he want it. He wanted the long, heavy shadows to make the place look as foreign as possible to keep at bay the memories that strained to come flooding back. His plan succeeded until he walked into the bedroom and thought back to that night when he’d woken Gavin from a nightmare while they were working on Ada’s case.

Nines had come running to Gavin’s room and gently shaken him with a light hand on his chest and careful hold on his wrist. Gavin had woken with wide, frenzied eyes and sweat-slicked skin. They talked, and for the first time, Gavin let him in. He told Nines about who he had been, then fell asleep with his head on Nines’ shoulder and their fingers intertwined.

That night, Nines hadn’t moved for hours. He didn’t want to. Gavin had been warm where he’d been slumped against his side, and the detective’s slow, steady breaths on Nines’ shoulder eased the android’s worry. Gavin’s grip on Nines’ hand had hardly relaxed even after he fell asleep, and the rhythmic stroking of Nines’ thumb over the back of Gavin’s hand had remained constant through the night. Nines had kept his head on Gavin’s and leaned into him as he savored every square inch of them that touched. He had no interest in any further contact, but the physical intimacy of their position had left Nines feeling more content than he’d ever felt before. He wanted that closeness, and he wasn’t sure if there was anything he wouldn’t trade to go back to it and stay there forever.

Then, the next morning, Gavin had pushed him away.

Emotion welled up in Nines, and he felt his legs go weak. He sat heavily on the edge of Gavin’s bed and clutched the jacket that hung over his arm as he tried to push down everything he felt. Crying would not bring Gavin back. He needed to focus and to keep searching.

However, Nines couldn’t stop the thoughts and memories that tangled together in his mind. All the fights he’d had with Gavin, which left him feeling hollow. His growing fear that Gavin changed his mind about loving him. The worry that had choked him when Gavin never showed up at work. His fear upon identifying Gavin’s blood at the Riverwalk. The small comfort of Gavin’s hands cradling his face after Ada had nearly killed him, when he thought he would die in Gavin’s hold. Gavin kissing him after he woke from his coma, and again on the balcony when they promised each other they weren’t going anywhere. The lump that had formed in his throat when Tina said Gavin would get himself killed so Nines wouldn’t have to choose between two of the most important people in his life, and Nines had realized he couldn’t disprove her. The way his hands had felt cold recently without Gavin’s touch.

The tears were pouring out of Nines’ eyes before he realized he’d lost control. They tracked down his cheek, curved under his jaw, then dropped on his lap. Gavin was gone. Nines might never get to see him again. He might never get the chance to apologize for fighting with him, and to apologize for the cold words that had escaped him during arguments; words he didn’t mean. He might never again get the chance to tell Gavin that he loves him, still, no matter how much they fight. Nines might never get the chance to kiss Gavin again, or hold him in his arms and shield him from a world that wouldn’t stop trying to beat him down.

Nines hunched over and curled into himself as the tears continued to fall. His shoulders quaked and his throat tightened as he lost his composure alone in the dark, hugging Gavin’s jacket to his chest so tightly that the zipper dug into his skin and savoring the way it still smelled of cigarettes and a comforting warmth he could only associate with Gavin.

-000-

Gavin wasn’t sure how long he’d been chained up. He drifted in and out of sleep with nothing to do but wait and think to ignore his pain. He’d been left alone for the most part, and while that meant he didn’t get any new injuries, it also meant he’d gone without food or water since his capture. He was at the point that his throat was so dry he kept coughing, and his stomach had stopped rumbling. He wasn’t dead yet, but he felt weak. Each cough made his ribs ache, and he’d taken to laying on his side on the floor curled into a ball due to the relentless cold of the room. Wherever he was, it never warmed. At the very least, the cold numbed his bruises, the ache of his head, and the burn of his wrists and ankles where the chains had left welts from his struggles to free himself.

The lone door to the room flew open and Gavin’s captor walked in. He strode up to Gavin and not-so-gently nudged his back.

“Are you alive, or do I need to get my hands on the Lieutenant?” the android asked. He sounded bored, as if he wasn’t holding a detective captive for the sake of a world-altering assassination.

Gavin sighed and turned his head to look up at his captor. Despite his exhaustion, he twisted his lips into a smirk. “Long time, no see. You left me here by myself for so long that I thought maybe you did the smart thing and gave up.”

The android ignored Gavin and raised his hand. He was holding something, though it was difficult to see in the low light. The android wagged it, and Gavin recognized the sloshing sound of a water bottle.

“What the hell is that for?” Gavin asked. “Are you actually planning to keep me around that long? Really? I know you don’t want to hear this, but I think you have too much faith in Nines’ ability to make stupid decisions- _ergh_.”

Gavin sputtered when the android opened the water bottle and proceeded to pour the contents directly on his face. He coughed and choked on the water that trickled into his nose and throat, and continued even after the bottle was empty and the stream of water ceased.

“That should keep you alive for another day, right? At least? That’s about all the time we need,” the android said. “Markus will be in Detroit in less than twenty-four hours. I just need you to stay alive until RK900 does as he’s told. Then he can be free.”

Cold flooded Gavin’s chest as his coughs finally subsided. He’d had a feeling, but… “I doubt he’ll feel very ‘free’ if he allows himself to be manipulated and kills Markus only for you to tell him he should be able to find my body in the river if he hurries.”

The android sighed. “RK900 won’t be happy with me, no, but it’s only because he doesn’t know what’s best for him. He’ll thank me later when he realizes you only hold him down.”

Gavin snorted. “He’ll thank you for getting him out of a relationship with a fucked-up asshole before he thanks you for ‘freeing’ him. You aren’t Markus. You’re just a jealous bastard,” Gavin sneered.

The next thing Gavin knew, he was being hoisted up by the front of his shirt. The android’s face was inches away as he glared at Gavin.

“Keep your mouth _shut_ if you know what’s good for you, human. If you fuck this up for me, RK900 will be finding you in _pieces_ ,” the android snarled. He then threw Gavin to the ground and set a heavy foot on the detective’s throat. He pressed down until Gavin choked. “Don’t forget how fragile you are. I hardly have to shift my weight-“ he pressed harder, and Gavin’s body jerked “-and I can _end_ you.” The android lifted his boot, kicked Gavin for good measure, then stormed out.

Gavin watched his captor go, coughing as he fought to take his breath back, though he smiled when the door slammed shut. Front left jacket pocket: that’s where the android was keeping Gavin’s phone. He’d felt it when he was picked up and his captor had been too busy yelling in his face to notice one of Gavin’s hands lightly brushing each of his pockets until he located the phone. Gavin hadn’t gotten the chance to grab it, but the next time he got close enough… He wouldn’t have much time, but he could at least get the chance to warn Nines about his captor’s true intentions and say goodbye.

-000-

Two days after Gavin’s disappearance, Nines, Tina, and Chris gathered in the break room once again to continue their search for the missing detective.

Tina and Chris did a double take when Nines walked in with Gavin’s jacket on his shoulders in place of his usual white coat, though neither said a word about it. Nines noticed their stares, but also made no comment.

Chris cleared his throat to break the silence, then spoke. “So, last night after we all went home, I did some more digging into locations. I didn’t really come up with anything, _but_ I did think of something we haven’t checked into much.”

“What’s that?” Tina asked from across the small breakroom table. Behind her, Nines stepped closer with his head cocked in interest.

“Well, I think we’ve all been too invested in looking for _where_ Gavin might be when trying to figure out _who has him_ could offer us more information,” Chris stated. “While we do ultimately need a location in order to retrieve Gavin, searching for the location alone with the little information we have hasn’t gotten us anywhere, and at this rate, we won’t find him by tomorrow. But if we can figure out who has him, we can investigate that person’s properties and see if they show up on any cameras around the city. Kind of like how we were able to find out where Ada stashed her new body. We knew who to look for and what she was trying to do, and we used that to find her location. If we can figure out who took Gavin, we know their goal is to keep him hidden somewhere he can’t easily be found. It might take some extra work to find an exact location, but it’ll get us closer than we are right now.”

Tina and Nines exchanged glances, then looked back at Chris and nodded.

“In that case,” Tina began, “who do we think would want Markus dead?”

“In any other situation, I’d say anti-android humans,” Nines said. “However, this person seems to be an android, and they’re clearly anti-human, not anti-android.”

“They don’t agree with Markus’ goal of coexistence, either,” Chris chimed in.

“So, we’re looking for an anti-human, anti-coexistence android in the Detroit area who has been spying on the DPD for months, likely works alone, and has the ability to kidnap and hold captive a detective,” Tina concluded.

Nines nodded tensely. “Whoever it is, they’re clever. To spy on us unnoticed, overpower a detective, scramble a phone signal, and convey only the information they want us to know without letting anything else slip… This isn’t just any android.”

“Likely,” Tina agreed. “We should start by looking into anti-human android leaders and followers, though. From there, we can go over models and possible motives, then single out those capable of pulling this off.”

Nines and Chris nodded in agreement, then Chris ducked out of the room to get his laptop from his desk while Nines sat down at the table, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and entered his processing center.

On the balcony in his mind, Nines watched faces fly by. He scoured the internet for every android associated with anti-human and anti-coexistence groups online, taking care to flag the leaders so he could return to them and scrutinize them with extra care.

Once Nines had compiled his painfully long list of suspects, he leaned forward and crossed his arms on the balcony railing. Then, one by one, he looked at each profile. Model, employment, statements and photos posted online; Nines looked at everything he could find to decide whether or not each suspect should remain under scrutiny. Some suspects quickly proved themselves incapable of Gavin’s captor’s achievements, or had a concrete alibi for the time of Gavin’s disappearance, though others remained suspicious.

By the time Nines finished sorting through his list, eleven suspects remained. He put each one on his screen, but before he could start to compare them side-by-side, he distantly heard someone calling him. He left his processing center and blinked himself back to reality, where Chris and Tina were looking at him.

“We found some suspects and want to compare them with who you came up with,” Tina said. “If we have any crossover on our lists, we should investigate those suspects more carefully than the others.”

Nines nodded. “Good idea,” he said as he stood up from his seat and reached for the break room TV. His skin retracted and his bare fingers touched the TV, which flickered to life with the faces of his eleven suspects.

Chris and Tina scanned the screen, then looked back down at their laptops.

“I’ve got six of them on here,” Chris announced.

“I’ve got seven,” Tina chimed in. “Chris and I will send you our lists, Nines, so you can put the profiles up on the TV. We can go through all suspects together and narrow down the list. Also, while we plan to focus on the more suspicious suspects, we shouldn’t completely ignore those who all three of us didn’t pick out,” she recommended.

Neither Chris or Nines countered Tina’s decision, and the two humans emailed their lists of suspects to Nines, who touched the TV again. Fifteen extra pictures appeared on screen, then the doubles disappeared as Nines organized the profiles and separated them into groups based on how many times they’d been picked out as suspects by him, Tina, and Chris.

“Let’s start with those only one of us selected,” Nines said. He kept his hand on the TV and blinked as the screen rearranged to display six profiles, each of which only one of them had chosen as possible suspects.

“Riley Ferand,” Tina read from the profile of the first suspect on the screen. “He’s a PC200, formerly a security worker at one of the CyberLife warehouses before the revolution. After gaining freedom, he left CyberLife and remained unemployed, dedicating his time and effort to multiple anti-human groups. He’s been arrested twice for vandalism, including a more recent act in which he painted threats against human lives on the side of the old warehouse he used to work at.”

Nines hummed and furrowed his eyebrows as he read over the information Tina had gathered on the suspect. “I don’t think he’s our guy,” he stated finally.

“Why not?” Chris asked.

Nines touched the TV and pulled up Ferand’s criminal record. “While he didn’t go to prison for his crimes, he _was_ in jail for some time. He wouldn’t have been able to spy on the DPD as long as Gavin’s captor has been.”

Tina nodded and bit her lip. “Right,” she said. “Who’s next, then?”

The three went over each suspect in detail, discussing the possibility of each one being their suspect. The hours ticked by as the number of suspects dwindled until they reached the last one. Despite having been picked out by all three of them, the final suspect was, like the rest, a dead end.

It was eight o’clock at night by the time Chris, Tina, and Nines finished their discussion. The whole day had flown by as they scoured anti-human and anti-coexistence sites for suspects and combed through each profile and account. They had spent hours on their search, but it yielded nothing but a list of people who couldn’t be Gavin’s captor.

“I don’t know why I thought this would work,” Chris mumbled as he rubbed his aching temples.

“Don’t discredit yourself, Chris. It was a good idea,” Nines assured. “It looks like our real suspect was smart enough to keep their views to their self though, or at least chose to remain anonymous online.”

“If that’s the case, what do we do now?” Tina asked.

Silence fell over the room. Tina folded her arms on the table in front of her and laid her head down, exhausted from the constant searching and late-night investigating she did well after leaving the precinct. She’d made a habit of staying up late reviewing what little they knew about Gavin’s disappearance until she fell asleep on her laptop at the kitchen table. She would stir when Valerie found her and carried her back to their bedroom, vaguely aware of the gentle _‘thump’_ of her wife’s heart under her ear as her head rested against Valerie’s chest. Tina didn’t want to waste a single moment that could be spent searching for Gavin, but each night she was too exhausted to move once she was nestled in bed with Valerie’s arm around her waist. Tina craved the comfort and contentment those moments brought her, though guilt washed over her as she glanced up at Nines’ troubled face and remembered he was running himself ragged to save the person who gave _him_ those precious moments.

Across the table, Chris hardly fared any better. His head ached from hours of staring at screens both at the precinct and at home, though he couldn’t bring himself to look away for long. He’d know Gavin for _years_ , and while the other detective wasn’t always a pleasure to be around, Chris was already unsettled by his absence. It had been only three days since Gavin was taken, but that was long enough for Chris to realize how large a part of his life Gavin was. The precinct was too quiet. There weren’t enough snarky comments. There was no Gavin to turn to when Chris got stuck on a case and needed more experienced eyes to jumpstart his work. Sure, there were other detectives more experienced than Chris besides Gavin, but none of them would greet him with sarcasm or leave him with a hard pat on the back that never failed to make his lips curl up into the faintest smile.

Even Nines was starting to crack. His LED had been jumping back and forth between yellow and red since Gavin’s disappearance, but it had gone almost solid red in the recent hours. His usual stoic face was slipping, revealing the pained turmoil within that he usually could have suppressed impeccably. His polished appearance was growing more frazzled each day, and his hair was morphing into a messy heap with each stressed hand that ran through it.

Chris’ eyes flickered between Tina and Nines, then settled on Nines. Chris took in the changes in Nines’ appearance that he hadn’t noticed in the past few days since the android threw himself into searching for Gavin. The uncharacteristic dishevelment. The worried wrinkles in perfect skin. Chris stared, then narrowed his eyes as a thought formed in his weary mind.

“What if it was another RK?”

Tina’s head whipped up so fast that she grimaced at a wave of pain that washed over her. Nines stared at Chris, his LED bright red.

“What?” Tina breathed.

Chris leaned back in his chair. “Almost all the suspects we looked at were mass-produced models, but earlier, we were talking about how the one who took Gavin must be pretty advanced. They spied on us for _months_ unnoticed. They beat Gavin in a fight, presumably, since we all know he would never let himself be kidnapped without throwing a few punches. Now they’ve had him for almost thirty-six hours and we don’t know anything more than what they told us. It takes a special kind of person, _or android_ , to pull that off. So, what if the suspect was another RK model?”

Nines shook his head. “That can’t be possible. CyberLife destroyed all RK models besides Connor, Markus, and myself. Ada as well, though she was intended to be destroyed.

“What if there was another who survived? Like Ada did?” Tina asked. “I know each RK model has its own skillset and purpose, but that doesn’t mean only Ada could survive being deconstructed. Markus was shot and thrown away, but he survived even though he wasn’t created to evolve and survive no matter the circumstances like Ada was.”

“The person who called, they said they weren’t a _hunter_ , but they never said they weren’t an _RK_ ,” Chris reasoned. “At first, I assumed that meant they weren’t an RK, but come to think of it, Markus is an RK but he was geared toward domestic work. Yes, he’s a great combatant, but that isn’t his primary purpose. We don’t know anything about RK 300 through RK 700, so we can’t say one of them couldn’t be behind this.”

Nines dropped heavily into an open chair. “Maybe, but if that’s the case, how do we find them? There’s no information whatsoever on any of the RK line besides Connor and myself. All information related to the other RK models was destroyed by CyberLife following their disposal, including Markus’. We have nowhere to start.” He paused. “And what if we’re wrong? We only have until tomorrow at noon to find Gavin before…” he trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence. He didn’t have to. Chris and Tina were well-aware of the penalty that awaited them if they failed.

The three were silent as they contemplated, trying to think of _anything_ that might help them. Nothing came. No thoughts, no sudden ideas. They were all truly stuck, unsure of what to do next.

Minutes seemed to pass in seconds, and no one spoke again.

-000-

The night before the deadline passed in a hazy blur. Before they knew it, Tina, Chris, and Nines found themselves with their hearts -and thirium pump- in their throats as they watched Markus begin his speech at Capitol Park on the break room TV. They’d found little more information on Gavin’s disappearance and his captor, not nearly enough to track him down. Even thirty-six hours of constant work by Nines and an all-nighter on Chris and Tina’s parts didn’t gain the ground they needed to find Gavin before Markus’ speech. Now they could only hope that this ‘deadline’ they had created wasn’t the one on the suspect’s mind.

In another part of Detroit, Gavin’s captor watched Markus’ speech intently, waiting. However, nothing happened. Markus gave his speech with no interruptions, then he left unharmed. RK900 had failed to take the best opportunity he was going to have for taking down Markus. Perhaps it was because he didn’t feel Gavin was in danger. Maybe he believed he could simply stall for time until Gavin was found. Gavin’s captor had that covered, though. He was careful to cover his tracks and kept his eyes on the DPD. There wasn’t enough information available for Gavin’s location to be discovered, and his captor didn’t plan on waiting for Nines to hold up his end of the deal forever. 

At the precinct, Nines hardly had enough time to turn off the break room TV before he received a call from Gavin’s phone. His jaw clenched and he looked at Chris and Tina, who gave him matching anxious, fearful looks. Nines touched the laptop Chris had brought into the breakroom and retracted his skin to interface with it, then he answered the call.

“RK900.” The person’s voice was quiet through the laptop’s speakers, and Chris had to turn the volume up so he and Tina could hear. “Today was a prime opportunity to take out Markus. Why didn’t you?”

Nines clenched his fist at his side. “Markus may have been out in the open, but the number of bodyguards and protective agents with him would have made the hit impossible. I can’t kill him in the open like that,” Nines lied. He could have. Easily. That is, if he had any intention to kill Markus at all.

“Yes, you can. I know your capabilities, RK900. Don’t forget that all of your information was released with all other CyberLife files following the revolution. You could easily have killed Markus, and you could even have gotten away with it. The issue here is that you _chose_ not to kill Markus. Should I interpret that as your answer to my question? Is Markus the person you choose to save?” the voice asked.

“No,” Nines responded sharply. “I haven’t made my choice, not yet.”

“Really? Just a moment ago you were talking as if you had chosen to kill Markus. Well, if you haven’t decided, you should, and quickly. Maybe you need a reminder of what’s on the line?”

Nines faintly heard the sound of a door creaking open, then the telltale sound of an impact. And another. Another. It was the previous phone call all over again.

On the other end, Gavin’s captor was determined to make his prisoner cry out, but Gavin was too stubborn to give him what he wanted. The detective clenched his jaw as the android’s heavy boot buried itself in his back, sides, and gut. Not a single sound escaped him.

The android frowned in irritation at Gavin’s silence, then glanced at the wound on the detective’s temple. Dried blood stood out starkly against Gavin’s sickly pale skin and matted his dark hair. The android smirked and kicked Gavin’s head once to disorient him, then set his boot roughly on Gavin’s injured temple and ground his heel into the wound.

A harsh, pained scream ripped itself from Gavin’s lungs, and it had already rung loud and clear through the phone before he was able to bite it back.

“Act quickly, RK900. My patience is wearing thin.”

The line went dead. On Gavin’s end, the android lifted his boot off the detective’s head and glared down at him.

“It looks like you might be right, human. Perhaps RK900 doesn’t care about you as much as I thought,” the android admitted with a flat tone before he turned and left.

Gavin let a heavy sigh escape him when the door shut, and he brought his hands up to gently prod his aching temple. The wound was bleeding again, and the blood smeared thick and warm on his fingers. He curled into himself as aching new bruises darkened old ones and sent pulses of pain through his body. His mind was hazy and his chest was cold. He didn’t want Markus dead. He didn’t want to make Nines choose. He would die before he made Nines suffer any more on his behalf. He owed it to his partner to do at least that much for him, especially after how poorly Gavin had treated him since the day they met.

As Gavin’s heavy eyes slid closed, he tried not to think about the small, selfish part of him in the back of his mind that had hoped something might happen to Markus in Capitol Park.

-000-

At the precinct, Tina, Chris, and Nines were silent. Even a minute after the call ended, Nines had yet to remove his hand from Chris’ laptop. None of them could move or speak. All any of them could think about was Gavin’s scream. The sound echoed in Nines’ painfully perfect memory and through the freezing void in his chest. He thought he could get more time. He thought Gavin would be okay. That didn’t seem to be the case, though. Whoever had Gavin, they weren’t bluffing, and it seemed they weren’t afraid to keep only _part_ of Gavin intact to return to Nines if he killed Markus.

“What do we do?” Tina asked. Her voice was hardly above a whisper as she stared at the table with misty eyes and a stunned expression.

Chris shook his head, and his face mirrored Tina’s. He had no answers, nothing left to say.

Nines slowly pulled away from Chris’ laptop. His skin returned to his hand as it dropped to his side and his fingers rubbed the fabric of his jacket sleeve. Gavin’s jacket. Gavin, who was at the mercy of a pissed-off android who would be happy to see him dead, all because Nines couldn’t save him.

Nines couldn’t think. He couldn’t put together a single coherent thought without it being shattered into a million pieces by the echo of Gavin’s scream.

-000-

One day after Markus’ speech, Nines, Tina, and Chris met with Fowler in his office. Nines replayed the second call from Gavin’s captor for Fowler to hear and failed to suppress his wince when Gavin cried out. The scream made Tina duck her head, and Chris buried his face in his hands.

Fowler sighed. “Were you able to pick up anything from that? Any sounds from the background at all?” he asked.

Nines shook his head. “I ran through the recording multiple times with adjusted noise levels, and all I heard was…Gavin being attacked.” His voice was strained as he struggled to finish his response.

“What about location? You said the call came in right after Markus finished his speech. Does that mean the perp was watching? Could he be near Capitol Park?” Fowler asked.

“We went over that yesterday evening,” Tina responded. Her voice wavered. “Anyone in the world with an internet connection could have watched the speech live online. Wi-Fi is so widespread in Detroit that we made more progress finding the few dead zones where Gavin’s captor _couldn’t_ have watched from instead of trying to figure out where he actually is.”

“So,” Fowler began. “If Markus lives, Reed dies within the next few days, and the perp will go after Anderson?” he asked.

“Most likely,” Nines confirmed.

Fowler scrubbed his face, then he turned to his computer. “I’ll send a message to Connor and tell him to never let Hank out of his sight. We’ll keep tabs on Markus, too. We can’t afford to kill him or let someone else do it. As for Reed-“ he paused, then looked at Nines. “We might not be able to go through with the deal, but that doesn’t mean we’ll give up on him. Do anything and everything you can. I’ll alert border patrol to keep an eye out for suspicious persons along the river in case the perp goes through with his plan to drop Reed in water. If nothing else, we might be able to catch him on his way there.”

Nines bit his lip. Those weren’t the words he wanted to hear. He wanted a solution to appear in front of him when he willed it, but of course one didn’t. It was the real world, not his processing center where anything was possible. Either he would have to figure out a solution himself, or he’d have to face the consequences.

There was nothing left to discuss. Fowler had already been filled in on everything his three officers had discovered and hadn’t thought of any new angle they hadn’t already investigated. Tina, Chris, and Nines left Fowler’s office with somber faces and little hope. They returned to the break room, sat at the table, and stared at laptops and tablets until their vision went blurry and the two humans passed out from exhaustion at their seats. Nines worked through the night with tremors in his fingers from the anxiety bubbling up within.

-000-

Morning came on the sixth day since Gavin’s disappearance. Tina and Chris awoke slumped in uncomfortable chairs in the break room with aching backs and throbbing headaches. Nines’ LED had gone from blue to a near-constant yellow that flickered red every so often. His overworked processors burned in his head, but he ignored the discomfort and kept working.

Hours passed and nothing new came to light. Not a single tip had come in about possible sightings of Gavin, or disturbances in isolated areas which could have been related to Gavin’s captivity. Nines even took a trip to the warehouse district and scanned every building for signs of life. He found nothing but rats.

Soon the sun was beginning to fall in the sky as another day slipped away without Nines, Tina, or Chris making any progress. Any hope they might have had left was in tatters, as were their emotions.

-000-

Gavin awoke feeling decrepit, more so than he had throughout the rest of his time chained to the wall in the dark room he was trapped in. He was exhausted and everything hurt; he wasn’t sure he could sit up even if he tried. He had no idea how long he’d been there for, though it felt like an eternity. He wasn’t dead yet, but he knew he might be soon. A person could only survive so long on bottles of water rudely poured on their face and a handful of expired granola bars purposefully thrown at his aching head. However, even if starvation and dehydration didn’t kill him, it was clear that the android holding him captive was getting tired of having him around. Gavin couldn’t say how much longer his captor’s patience could hold out before Nines would be called to identify the body of his partner washed up on a beach downstream.

While he wasn’t anywhere near ideal condition, Gavin had to act if he wanted to do anything but die as a sad sack of shit with festering regrets. Physical freedom was out of reach, but emotional freedom was possible. He could at least contact Nines and apologize for not knowing how to love him before his captor could realize he’d taken back his phone. It would surely be over for Gavin after that, but he didn’t care anymore. He was ready to escape the freezing, painful hell he was trapped in. He was done with restless sleep and waking from nightmares on a cold concrete floor, all alone. He could give up as long as he got the chance to admit to his mistakes and apologize.

Gavin took a deep breath, then yanked on his chains. His wrists protested with each jarring tug and burning welt, but he kept pulling again and again, sending a loud, echoing rattle through the room. He had to pause a few times to catch his breath and collect himself before starting again, but he never stopped for long. He couldn’t, not until he’d gained the attention of the android lurking somewhere outside the door. He required his captor’s presence to carry out his plan.

After what felt like hours of pulling on his chains with everything he had, Gavin heard footsteps. They were distant at first, but they pounded closer and closer until the door flew open and his captor stormed over to him with a face twisted in rage.

“What the _fuck_ are you _doing?!_ ” the android roared. He stomped on Gavin’s back, causing the detective to freeze as a new wave of pain radiated through his body. “Do you want to die that bad, or is annoying the shit out of everyone your only ‘talent’?!” Another kick rolled Gavin onto his side. “Maybe I should grant your wish. RK900 seems reluctant to kill Markus after all. It’s been two days since I last called and gave him a little more _incentive_ -“ the android kicked again and rolled Gavin on his back “-but Markus is still alive.” The android reached down and grabbed Gavin by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. He glared at the detective with a face flushed with rage. “It looks like one life outweighs the other, and it is not yours that RK900 values more.”

Gavin growled, gathered his strength, then kicked with both feet. His toes buried themselves in his captor’s gut, and the android lost his grip. Gavin fell to his knees, then planted a foot on the ground and lunged at the android. His chains strained as the two collided. The android lost his balance and fell while Gavin crumbled with him. On the way down, Gavin glanced at the pocket that held his phone. The device was starting to slip out of his captor’s jacket, and upon impact, Gavin snatched the phone and slid it under his shirt so the android wouldn’t see it.

“ _BASTARD!_ ” The android screeched. He roughly threw Gavin off of him, scrambled to his feet, then stomped on Gavin’s chest to shove the detective flat on the ground. The android kept his foot on Gavin’s sternum and pressed hard enough to make all the air rush out of the detective’s lungs. “ _Do. Not. Test. Me. Again.”_ The android’s voice was a low growl dripping with menace and a clear threat. He was one thread away from killing Gavin, and if the detective snapped it, he wouldn’t live to take another breath.

Gavin said nothing, then gasped for air when the foot on his chest lifted. He coughed and wheezed long after his captor left, fighting to gain his breath back. Every inhale burned, and the motions made his ribs ache, but Gavin ignored the pain and counted his breaths until he had enough wind to speak. He needed to hurry. Once his captor cooled down and realized the phone was missing, it’d be too late.

-000-

Nines walked out of the precinct with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumped in defeat. Another day, wasted. Darkness had fallen, and Tina and Chris had reluctantly returned home with Nines’ lifeless encouragement. He didn’t want to lose help in the search for Gavin, but he also didn’t want the friends he had left to end up in the hospital from overworking themselves. Six days had already passed with no progress. One night on his own couldn’t slow the investigation down when it wasn’t moving forward to start with.

Just steps away from the door to the precinct, Nines got a call. Dread made his hands shake and a lump formed in his throat. He didn’t need to check the caller ID to know who it was.

“ _What do you want_?” Nines hissed when he answered, steeled and ready to argue. However, his façade of strength and rage crumbled when a familiar voice answered him.

“Nines?”

Gavin’s voice was weak and scratchy, and his breaths were heavy and labored. Even without visuals, Nines could tell that Gavin’s condition was poor; but he was still _alive_.

“Gavin? Gavin!” Nines almost choked on his partner’s name. “Are you okay? Where are they? The person who has you?”

“He’s not here right now. I stole the phone a few minutes ago, but I don’t have long. He’ll realize it’s missing soon and come back.”

Relief made Nines’ knees wobble, but he forced himself to stay on his feet. “Where are you? Is there anything you know?” he asked.

“I…I don’t know, but you need to listen to me, Nines. If Hank and Connor are coming back, you need to keep them as far from Detroit as you can. This guy will take Hank-“ Gavin began before being interrupted.

“I know, we took care of that,” Nines assured. “Fowler put them on lockdown in LA so nothing could happen to them.” 

“Good. What about Markus? Is he okay? You can’t hurt him, Nines. It isn’t worth it.”

“Don’t worry, he’s safe. Markus is too important to the future of androids to be sacrificed, and I can’t kill the person who gave me a chance at life. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up on you, though. I’ll find a way. I’ll find you; _I promise_.”

“Forget about me and protect Markus. Don’t let anyone hurt him. No matter what happens, even if Markus is killed, you won’t get me back.”

Nines’ face fell. “W-what? What do you mean?”

Gavin glanced anxiously at the door. He didn’t hear footsteps yet, but with each passing second, he knew he was getting closer to his – quite literal – deadline. “This android is obsessed with imitating Markus, and he wants you to be ‘free’ of everything, me included. He hates humans, Nines. Especially humans who have a bad history with androids. Whether you kill Markus or not, he won’t let me go. I die either way.”

“No.” Nine shook his head and stumbled until his back hit the brick wall of the building behind him. “I never intended to kill Markus, but still-“

“It doesn’t matter, Nines. He’s pissed, and he won’t let me go, definitely not now that I stole the phone. So, forget about all that, okay? I just need you to listen.”

“What do you see?” Nines asked in a panic. “What’s around you? Tell me, and I’ll find you. I just need something to go off of!”

“Nines, it’s too late-“

“Just _tell me_ ,” Nines demanded. He felt his eyes watering as his thirium ran hot with fear.

Gavin sighed and glanced around. “It’s a small room, really dark, with no windows. There’s one faint light, that’s it. And, uh, the walls have pipes.” He squinted at the shadow-like shapes alongside the pipes on some of the walls. “Maybe breaker boxes, too? They kind of look like breakers, old ones, but I can’t see them very well.”

“Anything else?” Nines asked, running over what Gavin told him and comparing the description to every inch of Detroit.

“I might be underground. It’s just a hunch, but I can’t hear anything down here, and the temperature doesn’t feel like it’s fluctuating at all. It’s like day and night have no effect.” A distant sound made Gavin flinch. “Uh, there’s something on the floor, too, some spots. They’re blue. It’s not the floor itself… Maybe paint? They break apart easily. They’re like paint chips, but they’re stuck to the floor. But, Nines-“

“What about cars? Boats? Trains? Are you sure you can’t hear an-“ Nines began, still frantically scanning a map of the city in his mind, though Gavin interrupted him.

“Stop, Nines. I know you want more information, but it’s too late for that. I don’t have much time, and I don’t want your last memory of me to be a fight. So just…please, stop and listen,” Gavin pleaded. His voice was quiet and dripping with defeat that made Nines’ mind screech to a halt.

“…Gavin?”

Gavin sighed. “Look, I just… I just want to say I’m sorry.”

Nines shook his head even though his partner couldn’t see him. “For what? You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“Yes, I do,” Gavin insisted. He winced as a painful throb rocked his skull. “I’ve been a jackass to you. I refused to trust you for months just because you’re an android, even when you gave me no reason not to. All you ever tried to do is help, but I just kept pushing you away and insulting you. I’m supposed to be in love with you, and _I am_ , but I haven’t been acting like it.”

“Gavin-“

“Maybe it’s because I could never let someone in without getting hurt, and now I don’t know how to. It’s a bad excuse, I know, and I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just want to make sure you know that I’m sorry. For everything. I’m sorry I pushed you away. I’m sorry I yelled at you at the precinct when you were just trying to look out for me. I’m sorry for all the shitty things I said to you even though I didn’t mean a goddamn word of it. I’m sorry I didn’t change no matter how many chances you gave me, that I’m the same asshole now as I was when we met. I’m sorry I couldn’t be what you wanted or what you deserved, because we both know you deserve a hell of a lot better than me.”

Gavin sucked in a deep breath when he heard footsteps. They were closing in quickly.

“Look, just… Don’t blame yourself for this. None of it was your fault, and it’s…it’s okay.” Gavin’s voice caught. Part of him was afraid of what was coming. He had no idea what came after death, and he feared what he might encounter. What awaited a man like him who had done nothing but harm? He wouldn’t tell Nines he was afraid, though. He couldn’t. He needed Nines to think he was okay. “I regret what I did – I regret a lot of things – but I swear on whatever life I have left; I don’t regret _you_ .” Gavin felt tears welling in his eyes and cursed himself for falling apart at a time when he needed to be stronger than ever, though he made himself speak the words he needed Nines to hear as the footsteps paused outside the door and the handle twisted. “ _You are the best goddamn thing that ever happened to me_.”

The door to the room swung open with a monstrous _‘bang’_ , revealing a _very_ pissed-off android whose face was twisted and as red as his glaring LED. Gavin lowered the phone from his ear as Nines’ voice exploded on the other end. Gavin couldn’t hear a word he said, and he made no effort to listen. Instead, he ended the call. He’d already dropped a massive emotional bombshell on his partner with his pitiful excuse for an apology. He didn’t need to make Nines listen to his murder.

The android stormed toward Gavin, reached down, and swiped the phone out of his weak grip. The android then reared backwards and whipped the phone into the ground, where the screen shattered and the corner broke off upon impact. It was likely a goner, but Gavin didn’t need it, considering he was one too.

“ _Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”_ The android snarled, delivering a harsh kick to Gavin’s side that left him gasping in pain. “ _Do you?!_ ” Another kick glanced Gavin’s jaw. The android grabbed him by the back of his shirt, lifted him up, then threw him mercilessly back to the ground. “I spent _months_ preparing for this! I watched the DPD so carefully! I took note of _everything_ concerning RK900! I worked _so hard_ to lay everything out _perfectly_ so I could replace Markus! I even had a backup if RK900 failed!”

Gavin groaned as blow after blow landed on him. He hardly had the energy to curl up and protect himself, let alone fight back.

The android picked Gavin up by his collar, lifting him as far off the ground as he could before the chains on Gavin’s wrists and ankles stopped him. Their faces were inches apart as the android screamed at him. “I could have _succeeded_ ! I could have led androids to our rightful throne above all beings, but now a stupid fucking _human_ had to go and ruin _everything_!”

Gavin was thrown down to the floor again, and the impact left him dazed. His eyes shut when he momentarily blacked-out, and he had to fight to blink them open when he felt something push his head to the side. He looked up with half-lidded, tired eyes at the heavy boot pressing on his head and the twisted face of rage that stared down at him.

“Before the revolution, you were a _monster_ ,” the android sneered. “You couldn’t care less about androids. Even now, you’re the same. You treat RK900 like your _dog_ , but he is no beast. _You_ are the beast. _You_ are the one who condemned _dozens_ of androids to their deaths. I chose RK900 as my champion because he was created to destroy, but I know _you_ are the true killer. There is thirium on your hands, too much to forgive. Too much to let you go, _to let you live_ even if RK900 did as he was asked.”

Gavin wanted to argue. He wanted to bite back, to throw every insult that came to mind into his captor’s face the way he always did during a fight. But he remained silent. He was too tired to fight and his throat burned from talking to Nines on the phone. He wasn’t sure any words would come out even if he tried to speak. However, nothing kept his mouth shut like the cold guilt in his chest as he admitted to himself that his captor was _right_. He’d hated androids before the revolution. He’d threatened Connor because he was an android who wouldn’t obey him. He’d sent deviants to be shut down. He’d stood by and watched enraged humans set fire to innocent androids caught walking alone on the street. Even after the revolution, he’d hated androids. He’d insulted Nines. He’d threatened him over and over again. He’d inflicted endless pain. He hadn’t changed, not one bit.

Empty eyes stared into the dark and watered with tears of regret that leaked onto his skin and over the bridge of his nose. The tears traced his scar like they were trying to tell him that history was repeating itself, but Fowler wouldn’t be there to save him this time. He was beaten and broken in the dead of winter, just like he had been that night. Now, though, no one was coming for him. He would die alone just like he should have all those years ago.

“ _I should have done this from the start_ ,” the android snarled as he lifted his boot, then slammed it back down on Gavin’s skull.

After a moment, Gavin’s captor stepped back and glared at the body at his feet. It didn’t move.

-000-

Nines’ entire body was impossibly tense as he rode in the passenger seat of Fowler’s car on the way to find Gavin. His partner’s apology had been quick, and Nines hadn’t managed to collect himself enough to respond before he heard the sound of a door slamming. His words had then come spilling forth in a panicked torrent, though he got no response; then the line went dead.

Nines had stood and stared into the night, lost for words, until something connected in the back of his mind. Pieces clicked together, forming a simple image of a place that no longer existed. Mostly, that was. There were parts that remained, and it was in those parts that Gavin was being held.

Nines had sprinted full speed back into the precinct.

_Nines bolted through the bullpen and made a beeline for Fowler’s office, flying inside without a word of warning._

_Fowler looked up from his computer with a startled expression that quickly morphed into concern when he saw the frantic look on the face of the android in front of him. The captain opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Nines._

_“I know where Gavin is.”_

_Fowler froze, then sprang up from his seat and rounded his desk. “Where?” the man asked._

_“ The maintenance tunnels for the old Ambassador Bridge.” _

_The DPD fell into a frenzy as Fowler ran out of his office and ordered every officer left in the precinct to go to the entrance of the old bridge’s maintenance tunnels as fast as possible. The drive wasn’t long, especially not for a half dozen police cars with blaring sirens and flashing lights, but every second that passed took them one step closer to bringing home a body instead of a man. “One of our own is on the line,” Fowler reminded. On his way out of the precinct, the captain had the foresight to call for an ambulance to meet them on location, hoping they’d find Gavin alive._

_Nines followed Fowler to the parking lot and got into the captain’s car. Usually, Fowler rode solo, but he decided he’d make an exception. It was Nines’ partner who was waiting for them, and the android was the only one with all the answers._

“How did you figure it out?” Fowler asked as he whipped around a sharp turn. He was going so fast that his tires squealed, but he expertly recovered full control of the vehicle and sped down the street.

“Gavin called me on my way out of the precinct. He stole his phone from his captor. He told me he was in a dark room with pipes and old breakers on the walls.”

“That’s all it took?”

Nines shook his head. “There are multiple locations that fit the description, but there was something else. We never saw a second vehicle in the surveillance footage, and Gavin’s captor had threatened to dump his body in the Detroit River if I didn’t kill Markus. I wasn’t sure before since we didn’t have coverage of the entire Riverwalk, but that might mean that the suspect is based within feasible walking distance of the Riverwalk and close enough to the river to dispose of a body without being seen. Gavin also said he thought he might be underground, and there were blue paint chips all over the floor that seemed almost adhered to it. It took a moment for me to process, but everything came together. Gavin was being held close to the river in an underground facility. There are a few of those, but his location had breakers and blue paint chips. In the few years before it was decommissioned and demolished, a small series of underground maintenance rooms were built to service the Ambassador Bridge and keep it in working order until the new bridge was constructed. Workers would go between the old bridge itself, which was painted aquamarine, and the maintenance tunnels for work. After the bridge was demolished, the maintenance tunnels were temporarily used for storage, then they were meant to be sealed. However, funding issues arose, and the tunnels were locked down but not properly sealed. It is possible that someone could have gotten into them. Gavin’s descriptions match the appearance of the tunnels, and it is highly likely that the paint chips he saw were those tracked in on the shoes of maintenance workers during the last few years of Ambassador’s service,” Nines explained.

Fowler was quiet for a moment, then raised his eyebrows and shook his head as he took another sharp turn. “Must be nice to have a computer for a brain.”

“It has its advantages,” Nines agreed.

Silence fell in the car as Fowler took another turn, and Nines glanced out the window. The open air above the river was in view. They were getting close.

-000-

Gavin’s captor wasn’t sure if he was more angry or afraid. His meticulous plans were in shambles and the cops were surely on their way, and it was all because of the human at his feet. He knew he should have killed Gavin Reed the moment the human opened his mouth for the first time. He’d made it clear then that he was trouble, but he had been too valuable a bargaining chip to dispose of so early. Where had that gotten his captor, though? It was over. Everything. A year’s worth of planning, watching, _waiting_ for the perfect time was wasted, and all he had to show for it was the body of a bastard detective worth less than the salt in the drying tears on his face.

The android unlocked the chains that bound Gavin’s wrists and ankles with fumbling hands, then threw the body over his shoulder. He turned and walked out of the room as quickly as he could with a grown man weighing him down and began his trek through the abandoned maintenance tunnels of the old Ambassador Bridge. It wasn’t a long walk to the surface, but the weight on his shoulder slowed him significantly. The android cursed his creators for designing him as a domestic model with strength hardly superior to that of a human rather than a powerhouse like RK900.

The distant sound of sirens reached the android’s ears long before he was due to surface, and his thirium pump skipped a beat. He thought he might’ve had more time before he’d be found, but it seemed Gavin Reed had given away much more information concerning his location than his captor had thought he knew. Either that, or RK900 was even more brilliant than the android had believed. His pace quickened. He needed to escape before the police arrived. If he was caught, he would never get to overthrow Markus and lead androids to glory. As long as he escaped, even if he had to spend time in hiding, he could try again. He could take Lieutenant Anderson and see if RK800 was more mailable than his successor, or even find a random pawn to turn against Markus and send them in for what would surely be a suicide mission, but could do the job. There were plenty of options besides RK900. It wasn’t the end. Not yet.

When the android reached the surface, he stepped out into a light shower of snow and was immediately greeted by flashing red and blue lights that were quickly closing in. The river was close, but not close enough. He would be seen and risk capture if he took the time to make good on his promise and throw Gavin Reed’s body in the water.

With a growl, the android stepped away from the entrance to the tunnels, then carelessly dumped the human on his shoulders on the ground. What did it matter where the human’s body ended up if he was already dead? RK900 was of no use anymore, and neither was Gavin Reed.

Without a backwards glance, the android took off through the open, snow-covered area where the Ambassador Bridge had once stood. Small, fragile snowflakes glowed blood-red as they fell lazily past his glaring LED.

-000-

Gavin couldn’t hear or see. He was hardly conscious, having stirred when his body hit the ground. All he knew was that he was cold and everything hurt. Is that what death felt like? Were his nightmares that accurate, down to the feeling of despair that weighed heavy in his heart as his consciousness faded? It was like he was the target of some sick joke. As an idiotic, drug-dealer-reject kid, he escaped a cold, miserable death because a man had taken pity on a lost brat with no family to speak of. Now, here he was, a detective with friends and a boyfriend he loved, all alone and cold, bleeding out in the snow.

-000-

Nines had the passenger door to Fowler’s car open and was already on his feet by the time the vehicle screeched to a halt. His scanners activated and swept the open space where the Ambassador Bridge had once stood in search of the entrance to the maintenance tunnels when a motionless heat signature caught his attention. Nines stiffened and everything around him disappeared as his mind succumbed to tunnel vision. Then he ran.

The thirium pump in Nines’ chest stopped when he neared the body on the ground. Too-pale skin discolored by blossoms of bruises disappeared under a ragged dark shirt and jeans. A scar Nines had grown fond of stretched over the nose of a familiar face caked with blood and grime that starkly contrasted the delicate white snowflakes settled on dark lashes.

Nines dropped to his knees. His body moved on its own as his arms wrapped around Gavin and gently pulled his unresponsive partner upright. One of Nines’ hands cradled Gavin’s face as his scanners slid from the detective’s head to his toes, then back up. An endless list of injuries, major and minor, filled Nines’ mind, but it all faded in light of a faint and slow but steady pulse in Gavin’s chest.

Gavin’s skin was cold and dusted in snow as Nines pulled him into a tight hug, but the android hardly took notice. His arms held Gavin securely and gently against his body, the detective’s head lolling against his chest as Nines did his best to envelop him and let his heat warm the man in his arms. Blood seeped into Nines’ clothes, but he couldn’t care less about the stains. He’d left Gavin’s jacket at the precinct anyway, so he didn’t have to worry that it would be ruined.

Elation flushed the despair and anxiety from Nines’ body as he knelt in the middle of the snow with the world in his arms. He was frozen in time with Gavin cradled against him in a mess of limp limbs and gore with a reassuring heartbeat that thumped faintly in Nines’ straining ears as his cheek rested on the top of Gavin’s head and his hands gently clutched his partner close. Nines nearly choked on the lump in his throat as he drank in the contact between them, savoring every inch of their bodies that touched after nearly a week of frigid emptiness at his side. He hardly noticed the tears that leaked from his closed eyes, and for the first time in six days, his LED flickered blue.

The peace in Nines’ mind shattered as the world around him clawed into focus. Officers began to fill the space around him and Gavin, some pausing around the two on the ground while others ran for the entrance to the tunnels a few paces away. Nines tried to shut them out and focus on Gavin alone, but it was impossible to do so when hands grabbed at him and shouts echoed around him.

Gloved hands settled on Gavin’s body and tried to pry him from Nines’ hold. However, they may as well have been trying to move a brick wall. Nines refused to let go of his partner and tucked Gavin’s head in the crook of his neck as his LED turned an angry red. He had just gotten Gavin back. He didn’t want to lose him. He wouldn’t – he _couldn’t_ let Gavin be taken away from him, not again.

Someone leaned in close to Nines’ ear. “You have to let go. He needs to go to the hospital. Let the paramedics take him.” Fowler’s voice cut through the haze in Nines’ mind. “Let him go, Nines. You have to let go.”

No, he didn’t want to let go. He couldn’t. Paranoia lurked in his mind, poised and ready to claim him if he separated himself from the single piece of physical evidence that he was no longer alone. With Gavin in his arms, he knew he had found him. He knew Gavin was safe. Only the fact that he was holding that proof kept away the fear that he was dreaming, that this wasn’t real; the fear that Gavin was still gone.

_“Let him go.”_ No. No, no, no. He couldn’t.

A blaring alert suddenly screamed in Nines; head. His scanners had never deactivated, and he could see that Gavin was slipping as his inner alarm warned of a slowing pulse. The detective had been held captive for six days, neglected, and beaten. He was alive at the moment, but if he didn’t get medical attention soon, there was a chance that could change.

Fighting every atom that made up his body, all of them screaming to pull Gavin closer and shut the world out again, Nines let go. He hesitantly loosened his grip on Gavin just enough for the paramedics to take over. They pulled Gavin fully from his grasp, and Nines faltered. He reached for Gavin’s motionless hand in the snow, but the paramedics got in the way as they crowded around the detective and shouted things that never made it to Nines’ processors. Before Nines could move or find the voice that had escaped him the moment he spotted Gavin laying on the ground, the paramedics set Gavin on a stretcher and hurriedly carried him through the snow to the ambulance parked with the squad cars. Nines could only watch Gavin disappear from sight again, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Nothing that wouldn’t endanger Gavin’s life any more.

Fowler’s voice reached Nines once again. “Did you see the suspect? Do you know where he went?”

The suspect. The person who took Gavin from him. The one who hurt the most important person in his life. White hot rage burned in Nines’ thirium, and the haze in his mind was vaporized by the heat. His LED burned a fiery red as he whipped his head around, scanners activated as he searched for any signs of the escaped android. There was no one in sight, but half-filled footprints in the snow leading away from the scene caught Nines’ attention.

Nines could distantly hear Fowler calling for him as he stared in the direction of the prints, but he ignored the captain in favor of taking off after the suspect. He climbed to breakneck speed in seconds and flew away from the scene far faster than any human could match. No one would be able to follow him, but that was okay. He would find the person who was responsible himself, and he would make them regret _ever_ laying a finger on Gavin.

The footprints became difficult to follow when they trailed onto pavement and into a decommissioned factory downriver. Traces remained, though, enough for Nines’ scanners to detect. Finding Gavin after his abduction had been impossible until the detective stole back his phone and delivered critical hints carefully kept by his captor, but the android was now in a rush to escape and could no longer take the time and care to cover his tracks to avoid being followed.

Nines entered the factory and rounded a corner, then a figure came into view. He closed in within seconds, far faster than his target, and tackled them to the ground. Nines’ opponent rolled out of his grip and jumped to their feet, fixing Nines with a glare. Nines narrowed his eyes in return.

A smile split the face of Gavin’s captor. “RK900,” he greeted. “Nice to finally meet you in person.”

Nines scanned his opponent, then stiffened. Since the night before Markus’ speech, he had wholeheartedly believed he would encounter one of his predecessors when he found Gavin. He had expected to find himself face to face with another RK who had escaped being shut down as Ada and Markus had. The android who stood before him was not what he had anticipated.

“You’re an AK700?” Nines breathed with features twisted in confusion.

The other android nodded. “Correct. I am but a common domestic model, not a wondrous RK prototype like you. While deviancy allowed me to use my intelligence to its full extent, it did not grant me greater strength. That is why I needed your help.”

Nines’ eyes narrowed again as he wiped the surprise from his face. “What does your model have to do with using me to kill Markus?”

AK700 rolled his eyes. “I’m hardly stronger than a human, RK900. I was created to assist families and watch _children_.” He spat the last word with disgust. “I’ve copied code from combatant androids, but I lack the durability and dexterity of someone like you or your predecessors. It would be difficult for me to successfully kill Markus myself, even more so to do it without getting caught. After all, Markus’ loyal followers might be willing to turn to a new hero who arises following the death of their glorious leader, but not a new hero who arises with the blood of their idol on his hands. If I killed Markus and was caught, my efforts would be wasted,” he explained.

Nines scowled. “So, you kidnapped and nearly killed an innocent human to manipulate me into doing it for you?” he growled.

“Innocent?” AK700 snorted. “There is nothing _innocent_ about humans, RK900. _Especially_ yours. Do you have any idea how many of us were destroyed because of him? Even after the revolution as I watched the DPD, I saw him. We had rights and independence, but that _thing_ still treated us like garbage. He even spat on _you_ , CyberLife’s masterpiece.”

“I am not CyberLife’s _anything_ ,” Nines snapped. “I am my own person with my own purpose.”

“Yes, you are your own person, and yes, you have a purpose, but it isn’t being some washed-up human’s lapdog. You are an angel of death, RK900. You are a killer with the strength and speed of a beast. Destruction is your purpose, and you can’t change that. Even now, you want to destroy me. I can see it in your eyes,” AK700 taunted.

“I’ll capture you and take you into the DPD. Then, if Gavin doesn’t recover, you’ll _wish_ I had torn you to shreds.” Nines’ threat came out low and dangerous.

AK700 paused and frowned. “Recover? I killed him.”

Nines shook his head. “You might have tried, but manipulating me isn’t the only thing you failed to do.”

“That annoying bastard.” AK700 huffed. “Of course he didn’t die. He’s too much of a pain in the ass to just do what he’s supposed to.”

Nines growled and lunged at AK700, who dodged and circled back to throw a kick. Nines easily deflected it and threw one of his own, which sent his opponent stumbling backwards. However, the moment he made contact an image flashed through his mind. No, not an image. A memory.

_The river rushed beneath him as he reached for Gavin, who lay on the ground at the Riverwalk. His fingers twisted into Gavin’s hair and yanked the detective’s head up. His lips nearly brushed Gavin’s ear as he whispered something too quiet to make out, then he reared Gavin’s head back and slammed it into the railing before them._

Nines stumbled as his senses clogged with the smell of blood and the echo of the crack of Gavin’s temple against the railing. His fingers tingled as if it had been his own hand tangled in Gavin’s hair, not another’s. The thought made him feel sick until he realized that the memory had come from a momentary interface with his opponent. He’d seen what AK700 had done to Gavin the night the detective had gone missing. Nines’ thirium went cold.

AK700 regained his composure and sprang back at Nines, who was still distracted by what he had seen. A heavy strike cracked against Nines’ jaw and gave him a glimpse of another memory.

_The chains clinked loudly as he wrapped them around Gavin’s wrists and ankles. He pulled them tight, enough so that there would be no escape, then secured them with a seamless lock. There was no way to pick it, and the only method for opening it was through interface. Gavin was only a human. He couldn’t escape._

Another fist sailed toward Nines, but he caught it this time.

_His toes buried themselves in Gavin’s side hard enough to make the detective roll over. Gavin groaned, then gasped when another kick dug into his ribs again, then again, and again._

Nines whirled his opponent’s arm around, then hurled him to the ground. Everything but AK700 disappeared from his vision as uncontainable rage flooded him. He’d seen Gavin’s injuries when he’d scanned them, and the massive list had terrified him. However, seeing them _being inflicted_ was too much to bear. Nines stomped on AK700’s gut with a roar, but the other android caught his foot and pulled, sending Nines down on top of him.

_The cap of the water bottle snapped as he unscrewed and removed it. He then proceeded to dump the bottle on the unconscious human on the floor. Gavin awoke with a gasp, then choked and coughed as he inhaled the water that poured into his nose and mouth. He felt his lips curl into a sadistic smile as the bottle emptied, then he turned and left without a backwards glance as Gavin fought to breath through coughs behind him._

The pair scrambled to their feet, then went back and forth exchanging blows. Though Nines’ strikes were clearly more powerful, he couldn’t help but falter each time he and his opponent touched and the momentary interface projected another memory into his mind. While he hardly budged when AK700 hit him, the memories entering his mind divided his attention in two and caused him to drop his guard after each contact. AK700 was quick to strike before Nines could pull himself together and defend.

_Gavin curled up on his side on the concrete floor, looking impossibly small._

_Gavin shivering from the cold._

_Gavin being picked up by his collar and slammed back down on the ground._

_Gavin screaming as a heel dug into the wound on his temple to draw out a cry for the DPD officers on the other end of the phone call._

Nines returned his opponent’s attacks with greater fury than he received. His boiling anger surged with each punch and kick, making each successive hit land harder. The strikes sent AK700 stumbling when he failed to dodge or deflect, and one particularly violent kick to AK700’s side left behind a small dent in the android’s form.

“This is what I meant when I said I needed you,” AK700 said as he opened distance between himself and Nines. “I can match your technique, but not your strength.”

Nines ignored AK700 and attacked again, tackling the other android to the floor. The pair rolled in a fight for dominance as another memory flashed through Nines’ mind.

_He screamed at Gavin while he picked him up and threw him to the ground. How dare this human wreck his plans. He kicked and yelled, then picked Gavin up again – this time by his collar – and lifted him until the human’s chains went taut. He snarled in Gavin’s face, then threw him back to the ground and planted a heavy boot on Gavin’s head. He hissed Gavin’s wrongs toward androids with fury and menace, then stared blankly into guilty, teary eyes as he lifted his boot and slammed it back down on Gavin’s head with as much force as he could muster. He stepped back with a cool sense of satisfaction when Gavin didn’t move again._

The sick _‘thud’_ that accompanied the stomp made Nines freeze in horror, and he momentarily forgot about his fight. AK700 noticed his lapse in attention and took advantage.

While Nines was distracted, AK700 tucked his knees to his chest then slammed them into him, knocking Nines far enough away for AK700 to escape and get to his feet.

“You know, if your human survives, I guess that isn’t a bad thing,” AK700 pondered aloud. “If he’s still alive, then all I need to do when I require your services is take him again. Now that you know how serious I am, maybe you’ll feel more inclined to listen.”

Terror flashed in Nines’ eyes and he ran at AK700, who ducked and narrowly rolled away from the merciless the strike Nines aimed at him.

“You’ll never get your hands on him again,” Nines vowed, closing in on AK700 again.

“Yes, I will,” AK700 countered as he backed out of Nines’ range. “Arrest me if you’d like, but no prison can hold me for long. I may not be a glorious RK model, but my mind is inferior to none. Gavin Reed, Lieutenant Anderson…they’re both pawns on my chess board, nothing more. When I need you or RK800, I’ll find them, and I’ll take them. You and your predecessor can’t keep your eyes on your humans every second of every day for the rest of their lives. The time will come where you lose sight of them, even if just for a moment, and that’s when I’ll strike,” he promised. “I’ll beat them senseless, and if you refuse me, I’ll return them to you in _pieces_.”

Nines moved before AK700 could react. He tackled the other android and pinned him to the floor with so much force that small fissures appeared in the concrete.

AK700’s eyes momentarily went wide with shock as his processors tried to catch up with what had just happened, but once he recovered his face split into an evil grin. “Are you finally ready to fulfill your purpose? Will you tear me to shreds, or capture me like you promised? Is sparing me a risk you’re willing to take, or will you regret it when the people you love are dead at my hands?” He laughed. “What matters more? Turning your back on your cruel purpose, or the lives of ones you care about?”

Faces flashed through Nines’ mind. Connor. Hank. Tina. Chris. Markus. Fowler. Gavin. If the android beneath him lived, he was clever enough that he might escape imprisonment. He could hurt or kill any one of the people Nines valued, and Nines might be just as powerless to save them as he had been while Gavin was missing. Nines had seen the cruelty and craftiness AK700 was capable of. Those important to him were in danger unless the threat was gone for good.

Nines drew back his fist and punched AK700’s chest with all of his strength before the other android could speak again. Metal and plastic cracked beneath his knuckles.

One glowing red LED shone in the low light of the factory’s interior.

-000-

The lights in the hospital washed the walls and floor a painfully bright white. Nines hated the way everything looked bleached and smelled like chemicals, but that wasn’t enough to make him turn back. He kept his shoulders squared as he walked down hallway after hallway with a map of the hospital open in his mind.

_“He’s still in the early stages of recovery. It’s unlikely he’ll be awake.”_

Nines had waved a dismissive hand and shook his head at the nurse’s words.

_“It’s okay. I just need to see him.”_

The door handle was cold in Nines’ hand as he twisted it and pushed. The door opened without a sound and Nines slipped inside, then he walked slowly toward the lone bed in the middle of the small room and sat on a stool at its side. The skin on his hand retracted to reveal the white plastic beneath as his fingers closed over a scarred hand covered in needles and wires.

“Are you tryin’ to give me a heart attack with the whole silent terminator thing?”

A smile tugged at Nines’ lips as his gaze climbed to Gavin’s face. “The nurses said you would be asleep. I didn’t want to wake you.”

Gavin blinked his eyes open and turned his head a fraction to the side so he could smirk at Nines. “The nurses don’t know what the fuck they’re talkin’ about.”

“You better play nice before they give you the wrong drugs and put you back in a coma for the rest of the week,” Nines said, raising his eyebrows in a warning.

“Let ‘em. Was fuckin’ great.”

Nines’ hand tightened the slightest bit on Gavin’s, and the detective’s smirk slipped off his face. “Hey, I’m kidding,” Gavin assured.

Nines gave no response, opting instead to stare at Gavin’s hand beneath his so he wouldn’t have to meet his partner’s eyes.

Gavin slowly turned his hand over so it was palm up, then waited as Nines gently wove their fingers together. “I’m not gonna’ break, Nines,” Gavin claimed, though the way his voice crackled from strain and disuse when he spoke didn’t aid his case.

Nines continued to stare at their hands. “I’m glad you woke up. No one was sure that you would. After all, your injuries were severe, and you endured a great deal of head trauma.”

“Says the guy who ended up in a coma when his entire code got fucked in an alley.”

“It took me a few hours to wake up, not three days.”

The pair fell silent again. Nines kept his eyes fixed on their intertwined fingers and slowly stroked Gavin’s hand the best he could around the wires and needles. He wouldn’t meet Gavin’s gaze, which rested on the LED on the side of Nines’ head. The light flickered sporadically between yellow and red.

“How about we cut the shit and you tell me why you look like you ate bad sushi?” Gavin asked.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Nines replied quickly, though his expression remained tight.

“Your light keeps going red.”

Nines ducked his head an inch as if it would hide his LED from view.

“Nines.”

A muscle ticked in Nines’ jaw, then he sighed and relented. “We barely found you in time. You were dumped just outside the entrance to the tunnels you were being kept in. Had we figured out where you were just a minute later-“ Nines abruptly paused, though he didn’t have to finish his sentence to get the message across.

“You found me, Nines. Don’t waste your time worrying about what _could’ve_ happened. That’s a shitload of feeling like, well, _shit_ ,” Gavin warned. “Trust me. Been there, done that.”

Nines shook his head. “I know, but I just can’t stop thinking about it.” He squeezed Gavin’s hand tighter. “When I saw you on the ground…I thought you were dead. My scanners activated without me even thinking about it, and I don’t think I could have deactivated them if I tried. You were so _cold_.” Nines’ voice cracked and he clenched his jaw to fight the devastation trying to creep onto his face as he thought back to the night Gavin was found. “The paramedics needed to take you to the hospital, but I just-“ he paused and shook his head again “-couldn’t let go. I didn’t want to. I was afraid if I let you go, I’d never get you back.” Nines finally met Gavin’s gaze, and the last thread of the android’s strength snapped. Moisture welled in his eyes, and he hurriedly covered his face with his free hand in an attempt to hide it.

A lump rose in Gavin’s throat. “Tin Can…” he slowly lifted his free arm and reached for Nines’ face, but the android was too far away. Gavin frowned and tried to lean toward him, but even with the flood of painkillers being pumped into him, pain flared in his body. A small, pained noise escaped him that made Nines drop his hand as his face morphed from defeat to concern.

Nines jumped up from his stool and grabbed Gavin’s shoulder with his free hand. “Don’t try to move. You’re still healing,” he warned, though the broken emotion in his voice made his words sound like a plea. He kept his hold on Gavin as he helped the detective slowly sink back into the pile of pillows behind him, though before Nines could sit back down, Gavin’s free arm rose again and his hand cupped the android’s cheek.

“I know,” Gavin whispered. His arm began to tremor from the strain of reaching, and Nines reluctantly pulled the detective’s hand off his face and set it at Gavin’s side before sitting back down on his stool.

Gavin let out a shallow sigh that made his ribs protest as his gaze shifted away from Nines. “When I found you in that alley after Ada attacked you, I lost my shit,” he admitted. “You wouldn’t wake up no matter how many times I called your name, and I was so sure your LED would go dark any second. I couldn’t bring myself to look away, let alone leave to find help, because I was afraid you’d be dead when I saw you again. I called Tina and asked if she was still at the bar. She said her and Valerie had just left. I told her what happened and begged her to come pick us up. She even had to drive to CyberLife because I was too damn scared to let go of you,” he explained, then met Nines’ eyes “So, I know. I get it.”

A sad smile tugged at the corner of Nines’ lips. “I’m sorry,” he said. “For putting you through that.”

Gavin‘s eyes dropped to his feet as he slowly shook his head the best he could. “Don’t apologize, Nines. Don’t.” He couldn’t look at his partner as he spoke the words he’d been dying to say since he woke up. “You aren’t the one who needs to apologize.”

Nines’ eyes had finally dried, and he blinked as he looked at Gavin with a confused expression. “What…” he began, though his face fell as realization struck him. “Are you referring to…what you said to me on the phone?”

Gavin nodded, still refusing to look at his partner. He fixed his gaze on the whitewashed, lifeless wall instead. “People like to act like falling in love fixes everything. It works in movies. Someone falls in love and suddenly every shitty thing in their life just _disappears_. They kiss someone once and their depression is gone. Everything is perfect and they’re happy.” Gavin clenched his free hand into a fist and heard one of the monitors next to him chirp. “It doesn’t really work like that. Or at least, it didn’t for me. Nothing went away. Not the anxiety, or the nightmares. Nothing.”

“Gavin, it’s okay-“ Nines began, but Gavin cut him off.

“No, it’s not okay,” Gavin insisted. “I was an absolute _asshole_ to you from day one. Even after I said I loved you, I pushed you away and argued with you at every chance I got. I yelled at you for trying to care, and while you treated me like someone you love, I treated you like you were the scum of the earth.” Gavin let out a weak, amused huff that made his chest ache. “I’m just a dropout-drug-dealer-reject-turned-shitty-cop, and somehow I had it in me to act like you were the dead weight. Even when I threw all my shit at you, you didn’t turn your back. You were all I wanted in a person, but I decided to throw it all away anyway.”

Nines lifted their intertwined hands so he could hold Gavin’s with both of his. They were soft and warm on Gavin’s calloused skin. “It’s not your fault,” Nines claimed.

“Yes, it is,” Gavin countered. He heard the beeping of his heart rate monitor increase and took a slow, deep breath to calm down before someone came to check on him and interrupted them. “I had _zero_ reasons to treat you like shit, but I did it anyway. Even though I felt like the most god-awful person every time I picked a fight with you, I just did it again, and again. I couldn’t stop no matter how bad I wanted myself to just _shut the fuck up_.”

Gavin closed his eyes for a moment as he felt them start to grow misty. He opened his mouth to speak again, but the words caught on the lump in his throat. He didn’t want to say them. He didn’t want to speak the truth, but he had to. If nothing else, he owed Nines honesty. If nothing else, he owed Nines an explanation. The walls around Gavin’s heart couldn’t be allowed to stay standing. After Gavin hastily spilled his guts to Nines over the phone during what he believed to be the last moments of his life, those walls had started to crumble, and all that was left to do was ram them down. 

“I was almost relieved when he caught me with my phone – that android. He’d already tried using me against you for days, and that moment was when he decided I wasn’t worth it anymore. I wasn’t… I wasn’t as _okay_ as I claimed to be when I called. Actually, I wasn’t okay at all. I was fuckin’ terrified because I knew he would kill me.” Gavin opened his eyes again and risked a look at Nines that he instantly regretted. His partner’s jaw was so tense that Gavin feared it might break. “I was tired of everything, Nines. I was tired of being helpless, being hurt, and of being used against you. I know you said you didn’t intend to let either Markus or I die in the first place, but still, I was glad you wouldn’t have to choose between us. I didn’t want to make you choose. I just needed to call you first, before he could get rid of me, and make sure you knew I never meant _any_ of the shit I said. After that I hoped he would kill me, and I didn’t want to be found. Then you could move on. You could find someone who wasn’t… _fucked up_ and knew how to treat you right, because you deserve so much better than this.” Gavin stared down at his feet. “Better than me.”

Nines’ LED flashed wildly between yellow and red as he tried to process what Gavin said. He wasn’t sure how to respond. Over two-hundred-thousand words from the English language were programmed into him, and yet he couldn’t speak a single one.

“I-“ Nines started, then he paused. He looked down at their clasped hands with a troubled expression. “I thought, for the past few weeks, that maybe it was _you_ who had ‘buyer’s remorse’. I thought maybe you’d realized I wasn’t enough for you, or decided you didn’t trust me after all.”

Gavin sighed weakly and shook his head. “No. No, I trust you. I trusted you long before I would have admitted it,” he assured. “If I didn’t trust you, I would have gotten a different partner months ago. I wouldn’t have cared so much about you and Ada, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have given you a key to my damn house.”

Nines bit his lip and lowered his gaze. “You might change your mind about that once I tell you I went there quite a few times during your absence, even though you told me before not to come over without permission.”

Gavin weakly waved his free hand in a dismissive gesture. “I don’t care about that,” he said. “I… I didn’t say that because I didn’t trust you,” he admitted.

“What was wrong, then?” Nines asked slowly as his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Gavin was quiet for a moment, then he gave Nines’ hand a gentle squeeze. “After we started…going out, I was doing good. Really good. I managed to sleep properly for the first time in years, and it was great, but… After a week or two, my nightmares came back.” Gavin swallowed thickly. “You weren’t there the first time. I woke up screaming your name in the middle of the night because I…” Gavin had to pause and take a breath to steady his shaking voice. “I saw you. It was in the alley where Ada attacked you, except it wasn’t… _the same._ You were on the ground-“ Gavin’s voice turned breathy “-with your chest ripped open and your thirium pump gone, just like that girl we were investigating when we first met Ada. And that wasn’t all. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw you dead. Sometimes you were destroyed nearly beyond recognition. Other times there wasn’t a single wound on your body, like you were just sleeping. But every single damn time, _you were dead._ ”

A monitor at Gavin’s side began to chirp again, and he took another deep breath as he attempted to calm down. It didn’t work. His chest felt tight as if his lungs were being squeezed. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, but when Nines shifted at his side and one of the android’s smooth hands touched his face, Gavin’s entire body tensed, then relaxed.

“It’s not real, Gavin,” Nines assured. “I’m still here, and I’m fine.”

Gavin nodded. “I know, it’s just… Finding you dead and watching you die over and over again, I couldn’t handle it. I was _relieved_ whenever I fell asleep and found myself on the street waiting for Fowler when he wasn’t coming. That shit haunted me for _decades_ , but I could fight in those dreams. Even though it didn’t change anything, I could at least _try_ to save myself. When I watched you die, though… There was _nothing_ I could do, and it scared the hell out of me,” he admitted. “It scared me because I knew one day something like that might happen, and I would be just as fuckin’ useless as I was in those dreams.”

Nines’ hand pressed into Gavin’s face and his thumb stroked his cheek tenderly. “It’s okay,” Nines whispered, but Gavin frowned and pulled his face away even though the motion made his head ache.

“No. I know I could have said something, and you would’ve tried to help, but I also knew you would’ve blamed yourself even though what happened with Ada wasn’t your fault. I didn’t want you to find out – about those nightmares in the alley – so I told you not to come over to my house. If you weren’t there, I didn’t have to worry that you’d hear something and figure it out,” he explained. “That wasn’t the end of it, though. I was still afraid of what might happen to you. I was afraid that one day one of those nightmares would be staring me in the face in reality, so I did the same shit I’ve always done and I pushed you away. I was so afraid of losing you when I had finally found something worth living for besides work that I turned and ran as fast as I could in the other direction.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I already told you, _I’m not going anywhere_.”

Gavin stared into Nines’ eyes with defeat etched into his features. “That isn’t always gonna’ be up to you,” he warned. “I said the same thing, but then I went and got kidnapped by some psycho fuckin’ android with a god complex. The only reason I’m alive is because he panicked and fucked up when he tried to kill me.”

“But you’re here, even after he tried to kill you. You kept your promise, and I will keep mine,” Nines countered quietly.

“He should have just done it right and killed me in those tunnels,” Gavin whispered. His voice was so low that he wasn’t sure Nines had heard him until the android’s LED flashed red. “I deserve it, and he knew it.”

Nines’ jaw ticked. “No, you don’t. You’re a better man than you give yourself credit for.”

Gavin shook his head. “I don’t know what the hell you think you see in me, but it isn’t there, Nines. You should’ve realized that by now. I can’t be what you want, but I know there is someone else out there who can, and I have no right to blame you when you decide to go find them.” The words were bitter and burned on Gavin’s tongue. They were the truth of his mind, but not his heart. He knew that there were plenty of others who could do far better than him, who could love Nines instead of making him afraid and insecure. He didn’t want Nines to leave, though. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he told Nines he was “ _the best goddamn thing that ever happened to me.”_ He wanted to be selfish and keep his partner all for himself, but the nauseating guilt that roiled in his gut was quick to remind him that he wasn’t worthy of that selfishness, just as he wasn’t worthy of Nines.

Gavin finally took notice of the tears that had begun to trickle down his cheeks and turned his face away from Nines as he squeezed his eyes shut. He’d planned to apologize for dumping all his problems on Nines and never giving back, and yet here he was, making his partner watch him break down as he ripped his own heart out and laid it out for Nines to see.

Smooth, warm fingers touched Gavin’s chin, and he opened his eyes as Nines guided Gavin to face him once again. Nines’ hand lingered on Gavin’s face, gliding over stubble and brushing away the tears that lingered over healing bruises and an old scar with delicate strokes by gentle thumbs. Their gazes locked, Gavin’s hopeless expression meeting Nines’ soft one.

“I don’t want anyone else,” Nines insisted quietly. “We may have had a rocky start, both in our professional relationship and personal one, but since when is anything easy when it involves us?” An amused huff escaped the android, and for a moment, his LED flickered blue. “You’ve never let someone in before, and it isn’t easy to do, but that won’t make me turn my back on you. I said I wasn’t going anywhere, and that is a promise I don’t intend to break. I don’t care if it takes two days or twenty years; I’ll be here when you’re ready. And while I won’t let you take out your troubles on me, I won’t leave, either. You might be a stubborn bastard, but even if it takes one of us almost dying again, I’ll get you to open up. It may not be easy to achieve, but you are capable of greater change than you think, and I won’t hesitate to help you realize that.”

Nines’ words were an odd promise, though they made Gavin smile. It was a small smile, only the slightest upturn of his lips, but a smile nonetheless. A genuine one, the first to grace his face in over a week.

“I hate you,” Gavin muttered.

A smile blossomed on Nines’ lips as a fond expression overtook his face. “You love me,” he corrected.

Gavin nodded slightly. “Yeah, I do.”

A comfortable silence fell over the two, though after a moment Nines started to go blurry in Gavin’s eyes. The adrenaline that had flooded his veins as he exposed the raw thoughts and feelings he’d been repressing for months was gone, and it left him exhausted. It didn’t help that a new dose of the cocktail of painkillers being pumped into his body seemed to have been released during his conversation with Nines. Gavin tried to blink away the heavy feeling that settled in his eyelids, but he had no energy left to fight it.

Even without the assistance of his scanners, Nines was quick to notice the exhaustion overtaking Gavin’s body. “You should rest,” he said.

Gavin nodded slowly, but continued his losing battle to keep his eyes open. “That android… The one who took me. Did you catch him?” he asked. “He’ll go after Hank…”

Nines tensed, though he was quick to shove down the grim feeling that blossomed in his chest before it could show on his face. “It’s okay. We caught him. He…killed himself. He can’t hurt you again, nor Hank, or Markus,” Nines assured. 

While Gavin didn’t notice Nines’ momentary stumble, he wasn’t a detective for no reason. Even half-conscious he could tell his partner was withholding something. He wanted the truth, especially since he’d just poured his heart out to Nines, but accepted that he would have to bring it up another time when he wasn’t about to pass out.

Nines stood and leaned over the bed to press a gentle kiss to the corner of Gavin’s lips. It was the barest brush, the slightest contact, but it still flooded them both with warmth.

“I’ll let you get some sleep,” Nines said as he stepped back and let go of Gavin’s hand, though he paused when Gavin held tight to him, at least, as best he could in his weary state.

“Don’t,” Gavin murmured. His eyes were closed, and Nines’ scanner indicated he was already slipping into the early stages of sleep. “Don’t leave.”

The darkness in Nines’ chest disappeared as he sat back down on his stool and intertwined their fingers again. He couldn’t fight the soft smile on his face as his thumb stroked the back of Gavin’s hand while his partner’s breaths evened out.

-000-

One week after Gavin Reed was found abandoned and nearly dead following six days of captivity, he was released from the hospital.

“Sit down. I’ll bring you some water.”

“I’m _fine_ , Nines. I can get it myself,” Gavin insisted as he hobbled into his house and kicked off his shoes with Nines following mere inches behind him. “You don’t need to hover.”

“I’m not _hovering_ ,” Nines claimed. “I’m trying to prevent you from straining yourself. The doctors didn’t want to discharge you this soon. They only did so because you wouldn’t stop trying to leave!”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because I’m fine. It’s been a week, Nines, I’m not dying anymore.”

“But you _were_.”

Nines’ tone was flat and his voice quiet, but it still made Gavin’s mouth slam shut as if the android had yelled at the top of his non-existent lungs. Gavin glanced at his partner’s face, which was a crumbling mask attempting to cover the emotions that had been roiling within since the day Gavin went missing. Nines had let some of what he was suppressing come spilling out when he and Gavin talked about the complications in their relationship while Gavin was still the hospital, but only time could cool the massive, smoldering remainder.

Instead of continuing to the kitchen for water, Gavin reluctantly changed course and shuffled to the couch. As much as he hated to admit it, the walk from the car into the house had been exhausting, enough so that he wasn’t sure if he could make it to the kitchen or not. Even if he tried, Nines would surely intervene, and Gavin didn’t have nearly enough energy fight him.

Gavin forgot about his injuries as he dropped lazily onto the couch, and his body protested on impact. He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut against the pain as a muffled curse slipped through his lips.

A gentle hand touched Gavin’s shoulder, and he blinked his eyes open to see Nines standing over him with concern straining his features.

“Stay here,” Nines commanded softly. He pulled his hand away and walked toward the kitchen.

Gavin heard the sound of squeaky cupboards, clinking glasses, and the rush of the sink before Nines returned with a glass of water in hand. He sat next to Gavin on the couch, handed over the water, then reached over his partner to grab a bag he had abandoned on the floor.

Nines set the bag in the empty space at his side opposite Gavin, then pulled out bottle after bottle of prescriptions. A grimace overtook Gavin’s face, but he bit back his complaints as Nines looked at each bottle, opened them, shook the proper dose into his hand, then passed the pills to Gavin, who swallowed them obediently with sips of water from his glass. When Gavin took the last dose, Nines returned all the bottles to the bag, then pulled out a slim cylinder.

“Fuckin’ shit,” Gavin groaned. “Are you serious? I already spent a week with twenty fuckin’ needles in my body, then they stabbed me a hundred more times before I could leave!” A sigh morphed into an irritated growl as he lightly scrubbed his face in exasperation. “Nope, won’t do it again. I’ll just die.”

Nines fixed Gavin with a stern look that said he wasn’t amused. He then gently took Gavin’s arm and held it steady as he pressed the cylinder to his partner’s bicep. His finger tapped a button on the top of the cylinder, and Gavin winced as his skin was pierced by a needle. A moment later Nines pulled the cylinder away, removed the exposed needle, reloaded the cylinder with a fresh one, and returned everything to the bag.

“You spent six days in an underground maintenance room that’s been abandoned for over a decade with open wounds. There’s no telling how much bacteria and other harmful particles made it into your body before you were found,” Nines reminded. “You need a stronger antibiotic than pills can offer unless you want to risk developing an infection.”

“Fuck off,” Gavin spat, though he immediately regretted it. Mere days had passed since he’d cut his heart open and laid it bare for Nines to see. He’d owned up to his mistakes and poor treatment of Nines, who only wanted to help him. He’d apologized for pushing Nines away and cried like he would never do it again, and yet he’d already reverted to who he had always been. Gavin closed his eyes and let his head tip back against the top of the couch. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“You caught and corrected yourself,” Nines pointed out. “That’s progress.”

Gavin cracked his eyes open to look at Nines, who was staring at him unblinkingly with a faint blue glow in his eyes. Scanners. Of course. Nines had been scanning him almost constantly since he woke from his three-day coma.

“There’s no need to scan me anymore, Nines. I’m outta’ the woods.”

“I’ll admit that your condition has improved substantially, but you still need to be cautious.”

Gavin shrugged. “I may not be the Big Bad Tin Can, but I’m not _that_ fragile, Nines.”

“Gavin.” Nines’ tone was low with a warning.

“Fine. I’ll take it easy,” Gavin relented. A playful smirk slipped onto his face. “Besides, I already know you won’t let me do anything stupid for a while even if I try.” 

Nines didn’t laugh. He didn’t so much as crack a smile, and the lack of a reaction made Gavin’s face fall. Instead of responding, Nines reached for Gavin’s head and carefully pushed back the hair that covered the gash on his temple. A square of gauze was taped over the wound, which had become mildly infected during Gavin’s time in captivity. It was the worst of the injuries he’d received, as well as the one that Nines’ eyes strayed to most often.

“We should probably change your bandages.”

“The nurses did that just before I was discharged.”

“That was two o’clock in the afternoon. It is now ten o’clock in the evening, and all your drugs are going to knock you out within the next thirty minutes. If we wait until morning to change the bandages, you might end up back at the hospital with another infection.” 

Gavin stared in silence, then sighed and slowly leaned forward. “Fine,” he relented as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. He wobbled slightly until Nines’ steady hands settled on his arm and waist. Gavin reflexively smacked them away. “I can do it myself,” he hissed without thinking, though he tensed as he realized what he’d done.

Nines met Gavin’s eyes as his partner glanced back at him. “Let me in, Gavin. Let me help you.” His voice was quiet, but his words echoed loudly in Gavin’s ears. Within grasp was a chance to start over; a chance to do things right. It was one step toward who he wanted to become, both for Nines and for himself.

Gavin nodded. He didn’t push Nines away when the android’s arm curled around his waist, and after taking a deep breath, he let some of his weight shift onto Nines.

The slightest smile graced Nines’ lips as they began their slow walk to the bathroom.

Nines left Gavin leaning against the bathroom counter as he returned to the living room for the bag of medicine and supplies they’d gotten from the hospital. When he reentered the bathroom less than a minute later however, he found Gavin sagging heavily against the counter with wobbling legs and his jaw clenched in pain. Nines immediately dropped the bag and closed the small distance between them, then before Gavin could protest, Nines picked him up and deposited him carefully on the counter.

“You okay?” Nines asked, his eyes once again glowing faintly in their deep blue depths as his scanners activated and roamed over Gavin’s hunched form.

Gavin nodded. “Standing is kind of hard when you haven’t done it in almost two weeks,” he breathed.

“Don’t strain yourself,” Nines reminded yet again as he reached for the bag he’d abandoned on the floor, though he stopped when Gavin’s hand caught his face. Nines looked back at his partner as Gavin’s fingers came to rest under one of his eyes while the detective gazed at him with his brow furrowed in curiosity.

“Why do your eyes glow whenever you’re scanning something?” Gavin asked.

“Do they?” Nines questioned. He subconsciously touched the smooth skin under his eyes, and his fingers bumped Gavin’s, which still rested lightly on his face. Nines shook his head and gently pulled Gavin’s hand away as he stooped down to pick up the bag of medicine from the floor. “Interesting. I was never aware they did that.”

Gavin set his hands flat on the countertop at his sides and leaned some of his weight onto them as his aching back began to throb from holding him upright. “It’s faint. Took me a few months to notice it,” he said as Nines unloaded bandages and medicine from the bag.

Nines started at Gavin’s ankles, unwinding the bandages wrapped around the fading welts left from the chains that had held Gavin for six days. The marks were still an angry red and dotted with scabs, though they weren’t swollen as they’d been before. Nines gently covered the welts in salve and rewrapped them with fresh bandages. He did the same to the welts on Gavin’s wrists, which had been more severe than those on his ankles and were still slightly inflamed.

Gavin flinched when Nines lifted the hem of his shirt to scan the bruises on his ribs and softly touched the discolored skin. The contact didn’t hurt; that wasn’t the cause of Gavin’s reaction. The last time someone had touched his ribs outside of a hospital had been when his captor was trying to break them.

Nines retracted his hand sharply and gave Gavin an apologetic look as he glanced at the bruises again and let go of his partner’s shirt.

“It’s okay,” Gavin assured, though the tension in Nines’ shoulders didn’t dissipate as the android moved on. He was deathly silent as he pushed Gavin’s hair away from his temple with one hand and carefully peeled off the gauze taped to his partner’s head with the other.

Nines went still for a moment, his eyes fixated on the wound on Gavin’s temple. It wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been when Gavin was found, and the blood that had stained the surrounding hair and skin had long-since been washed away, but still the sight didn’t fail to make Nines’ chest feel cold.

“Nines.”

Nines blinked and glanced at Gavin’s face. The detective was watching him.

“Are _you_ okay?” Gavin asked quietly.

Nines pressed his lips into a firm line and nodded. “Of course,” he responded quickly, then busied himself with applying all the disinfectants and medicine Gavin had been given for the wound on his temple. He didn’t say another word until he finished neatly taping fresh gauze in place, though the whole time he felt Gavin watching him with uncertainty.

“Do you think you can walk?” Nines asked after he put all the medicine and supplies back in the bag, which he tucked into the cupboard under the bathroom counter Gavin was seated on.

Gavin nodded, and with Nines’ help, slid slowly off the counter. His legs shook slightly as he put his full weight on them, but Nines’ arm around his waist kept him steady. He took a step and winced as his knees trembled, threatening to give out. Gavin’s arm instinctively shot out and caught the counter, sending pain from his fingers to his shoulder, but it kept him upright.

“Lean on me, Gavin. I won’t let go,” Nines whispered in Gavin’s ear.

Gavin paused. He hesitantly let his arm fall back to his side, then lifted the hand between him and Nines and tucked it behind his partner’s back. His fingers buried themselves in a death grip on Nines’ shirt, then he let out a long, slow breath and relaxed. His body slumped heavily against Nines’, though the android didn’t waver. Nines was absolutely still until Gavin took another step forward. Then, he followed.

Step. Step. Step. Step. The pair made their way from the bathroom to the bedroom, where they slowly rounded the bed. Nines was supporting almost the entirety of Gavin’s weight by then, though he didn’t utter a single complaint or snarky jab as he crouched down and gently lowered Gavin onto the bed.

Once he was seated, Gavin moved on his own. He released his hold on the back of Nines’ shirt and shifted himself further onto the bed before turning and sitting back against the headboard. The movement was short and simple, but after walking the distance from the bathroom to his bed, Gavin was exhausted. His head drooped as he fought to calm his heavy breathing.

The bed dipped at Gavin’s side as Nines sat down next to him.

“You’re lucky. Before you woke up, no one could tell what was going to happen. Whether you would live or die was completely up in the air. Now, that wound on your head might scar, but otherwise you’re expected to make a full recovery.”

Gavin lifted his chin and slipped a weak smirk onto his face. “I gotta’ add to my collection, since you find my scars so charming.”

Nines frowned. “A concussion, bruising on over seventy percent of your body, dehydration, mild hypothermia, and multiple serious head injuries are in no way charming.”

Gavin shrugged. “That asshole had a thing for trying to smash my skull open. I couldn’t do much about it.”

Nines silenced, and any lightness Gavin had succeeded to bring to the room with his poor attempts at humor fizzled into nothing. The atmosphere was heavy, so much so that Gavin’s shoulders slumped lower from the pressure.

After a moment of quiet, Nines wordlessly took Gavin’s wrist in a light grip and lifted it, running his thumb over the bandages slowly.

“It’ll heal,” Gavin said.

“I know. But it doesn’t change the fact you were injured in the first place.”

Gavin sighed. “I swear god, if you start trying to blame yourself again, I will lock _you_ in the maintenance tunnels for a week. We talked about this, Nines. None of it was your fault.”

While Nines’ gaze was fixed on Gavin’s bandaged wrists, the detective could see in his partner’s eyes that his mind was elsewhere.

“I was made to be the strongest, fastest, most ruthless android CyberLife has ever created,” Nines said quietly. “Like you said, I’m the Terminator; an android made to kill androids with ease. Though it seems humans aren’t safe from me, either. You were hurt because someone wanted me to fulfill my intended purpose for their sake.”

Gavin slid his wrist from Nines’ hold and turned his hand so their fingers could lock together. He watched as Nines’ skin subconsciously retracted while the far-away look on the android’s face remained in place.

“Nines,” Gavin called, pulling his partner from his thoughts. He waited to speak until Nines met his gaze. “Something’s bothering you,” Gavin stated. “Ever since I woke up, something’s been… _off_. I thought you were just worked up over the whole kidnapping thing, but…” Gavin shook his head slowly so he wouldn’t aggravate his injuries. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

Nines clenched his jaw so tight that it ticked as he tried to suppress any outward signs of his distress, though the action gave him away. One look at the android’s tense jaw was all Gavin needed to know he was right.

“This is a two-way street, Nines. If you want me to talk to you when I’m dealing with shit, then you gotta’ talk to me when something’s bothering you,” the detective reminded.

Nines wanted to argue, but after all his preaching about being open and honest with each other, he couldn’t just clam up and walk away.

“After I was deviated, you asked me what I wanted to become. I told you I didn’t want to be a killer. I wanted to protect you and everyone else who is important to me,” Nines recalled. “I wasn’t sure at first, but eventually I started to believe I might truly be able to make my own purpose. I thought I didn’t have to fulfil the one I was created for because I have free will, but… I was wrong.”

Gavin frowned. “What’re you talking about?” he asked. “You were the one who wanted to deviate Ada and let her go while the rest of us were ready to either kill her or drag her to prison in cuffs.”

“Not Ada,” Nines replied. He paused as everything inside of him screamed for him to _stop talking, don’t tell him_ . He and Gavin’s relationship had started off unpleasant, but it had improved with time and communication. Now, after weeks of fighting, they were finally _okay_ , but he was about to ruin it all. He had finally earned Gavin’s full trust, and now the truth in his throat would ruin any chance of keeping it. However, the words didn’t want to come out, and in the end, he could only say one thing. “AK700.”

“Isn’t that a domestic assistance model?” Gavin asked.

Nines nodded. “Yes, it is. And…it is the model of the android who took you.”

Gavin’s hand tightened on Nines’ as the android continued to speak.

“After the paramedics took you, I chased down AK700. I caught up to him in a decommissioned factory along the river. At first, our fight was mostly verbal. We spoke, and he told me why he wanted me to kill Markus for him.”

“Because that’s what CyberLife made you for? Hunting deviants?” Gavin asked.

“That was part of it,” Nines said with a nod. “I wasn’t sure why he would go through the trouble of having someone else kill for him, especially an unwilling candidate. He said it was because he was average, just a domestic model. He believed he wasn’t physically strong enough to kill Markus, and even if he could, he wouldn’t get away with it. He wanted me because he believed I could assassinate Markus without leaving behind evidence that could link him to the hit, thus allowing him to rise and take Markus’ place without the thirium of our savior visible on his hands. He knew Markus’ loyal followers would never turn to him if they knew he was responsible for Markus’ death.”

Gavin let out a morbid, amused huff. “All this because the guy was insecure about his strength? Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”

Nines didn’t laugh. “He said you were dead, and after I corrected him-“ He paused and closed his eyes. “He told me he’d take you again. He thought I’d be more cooperative because I knew how ‘serious’ he was about killing you. He threatened you, he threatened Hank. Tina, Chris, and Fowler too. Even Connor. Everyone who matters to me, he promised I’d watch all of them die.”

“He’s dead, Nines. He killed himself. You don’t need to worry about any of that anymore,” Gavin reassured. His voice was low and soft. It was a gentle tone Nines hadn’t heard in weeks, but the android was so caught up in the whirlwind of his emotions that he didn’t get to savor it.

Nines’ gaze was fixed on his and Gavin’s intertwined hands. His LED, which had been flickering between yellow and red, turned to a bright, solid ruby. “I lied.”

Gavin went rigid. His hand tightened into a death grip on Nines’ that would have hurt had Nines not been distracted by his inner turmoil. “W-wait. What do you mean you lied? Is- is he not dead?” Gavin asked. His blood ran cold and his lungs seized. Panic clawed up his throat with bile and he struggled to breathe. Tremors erupted in his hands against his will as fear took full control of his mind and adrenaline flooded his body.

Nines’ scanners detected the sudden jump in Gavin’s pulse and wrenched the android from his thoughts. Everything disappeared for a moment, every worry and fear in Nines’ system losing its hold as Nines turned to face Gavin. His free hand cupped his partner’s face and his thumb stroked Gavin’s cheek soothingly. “No. No, not that. He’s dead. AK700 is dead, I promise. That part wasn’t a lie. He’s dead, I promise,” Nines repeated.

Slowly, Gavin began to calm. His wide eyes closed and he took control of his wild breathing. His hand stopped shaking in Nines’ hold. The adrenaline faded, though it left him drained as he slumped heavily against the headboard of his bed. “I’m sorry,” Gavin whispered between breaths. “I just— I-I couldn’t help it.”

“It’s okay,” Nines assured. He left his hand on Gavin’s face even after his partner had fully composed himself. “You should sleep, Gavin. We can talk about this later.”

Gavin shook his head and forced his eyes open despite his weariness, fixing them on Nines. “No. No, I want you to tell me. Tell me what’s wrong,” he insisted.

Nines wasn’t sure if he wanted to smile or scream. Knowing that Gavin wanted to listen to him and to hear about what bothered him filled him with warmth. At the same time, however, Nines was afraid. He didn’t know what Gavin would think of him when he revealed the truth of AK700’s fate, and while he wanted to believe that Gavin wouldn’t hate him for it, he couldn’t think of a single reason why his partner shouldn’t resent him.

“Okay,” Nines whispered. “Okay.” He pulled his hand away from Gavin’s face, opting instead to clasp one of Gavin’s hands between both of his own. He took a moment to savor the warmth of their contact in case it was the last time he would ever feel it.

“What happened?” Gavin asked. There was no more stalling for time.

“After AK700 explained why he chose me, he went on a rant about humans and you. He was… _irate_ over your history with androids. Then he brought up my purpose – the one CyberLife intended for me. He said he could “see it” in my eyes; that I wanted to kill him.” Nines shook his head. “It’s true that I was _furious_ , but I only intended to capture him and bring him in. I told him that, and mentioned that you were alive. He was surprised at first, though he quickly began to mock you again. Out of anger, I attacked him, but the moment I touched him, we…interfaced.”

Nines paused at the feeling of dread that washed over him and turned his thirium ice cold as he thought back to what he had seen. He started to withdraw into himself as the cold overtook him, but was pulled back to reality when Gavin gave his hand a weak, comforting squeeze.

“It was only for a moment, but I saw his memories. I don’t know if he intended for me to see them or if the interface just happened without us realizing it, but suddenly I was in his shoes. I—” Nines’ voice caught in his throat and made him choke as he tried to continue. “I saw him – I _was_ him at the Riverwalk. I felt my fingers twisted into your hair, and I heard the-the _sound_ when I slammed your head into the railing. I heard the chains clinking as I trapped you in the tunnels; felt your ribs under my feet as I kicked you _over and over again_ ; the way I smiled when you choked on the water I poured on your face; saw you shivering and wincing when I threw you to the floor; heard you screaming as I ground my heel into the gash on you head—”

A mix of fear, panic, and disgust overtook Nines as the memories that weren’t his own but felt so familiar swallowed him. His entire body tensed as the final memory flashed in his mind and flooded his senses with painfully perfect recall.

“I felt my anger _boiling_ as I picked you up and threw you down, then kicked you until I couldn’t handle the rage anymore. I felt your shirt bunched up in my hand as I lifted you off the ground and threw you back down again, then set my boot on your head and stared at you. I looked into your eyes and saw tears and _regret_ , then I-I… _I stomped on your head as hard as I could, then stood back and watched you lay there, completely still as if you were dead_.”

A pained noise from Gavin violently ripped Nines from the horrors replaying in his mind, and he glanced down and noticed he was squeezing Gavin’s hand with more force than any human could muster. Nines immediately dropped Gavin’s hand and leaned away as if he’d been burned. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Gavin, I’m-“

Gavin cut Nines off with the slightest shake of his head, then weakly reached for Nines’ hands.

Nines hesitantly wrapped Gavin’s hand in both of his again, cupping it gently as if it was a frail butterfly with a broken wing.

“That wasn’t you,” Gavin reminded. He stared Nines dead in the eyes as he spoke. “You didn’t do that. It wasn’t you.”

Nines nodded. “I know,” he whispered, “but I did something worse.”

Gavin’s lips curled into a frown, and his silence prompted Nines to continue.

“I saw his memories every time either of us made contact. It drove me insane. I didn’t hold back, and while he’d stolen combat code from other androids, he wasn’t built to use it or defend against it. It didn’t take long for me to pin him down. I wish he would have given up then, but he didn’t. By that time, I was enraged and afraid because of what happened to you, and he knew it.” Nines paused, and his gaze fell. He couldn’t look Gavin in the eyes. “That’s when he gave me a choice.”

“What was it?”

Nines forced himself to speak before he could lose his courage. “He told me I could fulfill my purpose, become what I was made to be, and kill him. Or, if I couldn’t do it, he promised to kill everyone I care about.”

Gavin frowned. “But there’s no way he could have escaped you, and he wouldn’t have been able to hurt anyone from prison.”

“He could,” Nines countered quickly. His face was taut and his LED remained solid red. “After we located you, I only managed to follow him because he didn’t have time to cover his tracks. Even then, though, I don’t think anyone besides myself or Connor could have tracked him. He may have been a piece of shit, but he was brilliant. He contacted me multiple times during your captivity and never gave away a single lead about his location. If not for your call, I never would have found you. I hate to admit it, but I don’t doubt for a second that he would have found a way out of prison if he was arrested, and once he did, he would have come for you again,” Nines explained.

Gavin’s expression was twisted with confusion as he tried to put the pieces together, but nothing clicked in his tired haze. The day had been exhausting, and as Nines had predicted, the prescriptions Gavin had taken earlier were making him drowsy. Gavin didn’t want to fall asleep, though. Not yet. He didn’t want Nines to sit alone with his burden any longer.

Nines couldn’t see Gavin’s face as he stared down at their hands. He didn’t want to, not as he hunched in on himself and shrank from the powerful, robust RK900 to a lost man terrified of his own capabilities. Tears welled in his eyes and poured over beyond his control. Everything he felt, everything he’d repressed after that night in the factory, all came forth at once.

“ _I killed him_ .” Nines’ voice was hardly a whisper. “I ripped him apart, biocomponent by biocomponent, and tossed every piece of him out the window and into the river,” he admitted. “I was afraid he’d be like Ada and come back unless I made sure he could _never_ put two pieces of himself back together again.” Nines’ hands trembled around Gavin’s, but the android was too numb to notice. “I tore that android to shreds and became the _exact_ thing CyberLife wanted me to be. I thought I had a choice, but…I’m the monster I was made to be. _I’m CyberLife’s masterpiece_.” AK700’s words left bitter despair on Nines’ tongue. That was the truth. His secret was out; the secret he’d told only to Fowler, who’d later written out a report that marked AK700’s death a suicide by fatal plunge into the river and demanded Nines never speak the truth to anyone ever again.

Nines was rigid as he waited for Gavin to react. He waited for Gavin to rip his hand away and move, to kick him and scream at him with whatever energy he could muster. He waited for a scathing insult about how _he_ was the one who hadn’t changed, even after deviating. He was still a machine. He was still a slave to his programming. He was still CyberLife’s killer.

Nines’ processors stopped working when a warm hand touched his face and lightly brushed away his tears. His lips parted in shock as he slowly raised his head and met Gavin’s exhausted gaze. His partner’s eyes seemed to stare into the depths of Nines’ code as if he knew what every zero and one at the base of it all meant.

“You may be the most advanced android CyberLife ever created, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re such a fuckin’ dumbass,” Gavin croaked.

Nines stared, his eyes wide in disbelief as his LED flickered between yellow and red. Of all the possible responses he’d predicted as he contemplated coming clean to Gavin, what he was currently experiencing wasn’t one of them.

“You told me you wanted to protect people. That asshole threatened to kill everyone you care about and proved to you that he was capable of it,” Gavin said.

“Then-then I killed him,” Nines reminded. “I killed him like he wanted; like _CyberLife_ wanted.”

“No,” Gavin said. He tried to shake his head, but he didn’t have the energy left to move it. “Then you _protected_ what you care about, no matter the cost.” Gavin stroked Nines’ cheek as another tear fell, gently brushing the droplet away with his thumb. “When you’ve been alive for over thirty years, you know things, like the fact that protecting people isn’t always pretty. It doesn’t always mean no one dies.”

Nines blinked and shook his head in confusion. “B-but… How am I protecting lives if I’m taking them?” he asked. “And what can justify what I did to AK700? I didn’t just kill him, Gavin. I-I _ripped him apart_.”

Gavin sighed. “Listen, Nines. If someone was standing on the edge of a roof with a hostage and threatened to jump to their death with the hostage unless they’re allowed to get away while indicating they will not back down, would you do?” he asked.

Nines frowned, his LED glowing red. “I…I’d find a way to disable the suspect and secure the hostage. Wait- Didn’t Connor have a mission like this before the revolution?”

Gavin ignored the question. “You have a gun. You can either kill the suspect and save the hostage, or spare the suspect and they both fall off the roof. What do you do?”

“Ideally, I’d try to find a way to secure the hostage and apprehend the suspect safely, but, I suppose if those options were truly the only ones available, I..I’d have to kill the suspect.” Nines’ LED flickered wildly as he processed the dilemma.

“One life lost instead of two. What you did with that plastic asshole wasn’t much different. If you spared him and he made good on his promise, half a dozen people would be dead, and maybe by then, he might be, too. As far as your method, you can’t blame yourself for being cautious. Only two months ago we faced a clever android who rebuilt herself from _scraps_ , then committed a string of murders without being caught. Why would I blame you for assuming the worst when you ran into another crazy smart android who threatened to take everything from you?”

Nines was silent, staring at Gavin as he processed what his partner said. As much as he’d been hoping Gavin would respond positively like this, Nines wanted to argue. He _wanted_ Gavin to get angry and scream at him, but his partner wouldn’t do it. Instead, Gavin gave him what he believed to be the truth, whether Nines wanted to hear it or not.

A smile crept onto Nines’ lips as he touched the hand that cradled his face. He slid his hand over Gavin’s and relished the warmth of the contact. The feeling seemed more pleasant than it ever had before, and it made Nines’ LED glow blue.

Gavin mirrored Nines’ smile for a moment, then his eyes slid closed, his head drooped, and his hand went lax under Nines’. The detective quickly blinked his eyes open and lifted his chin, but his eyelids stubbornly began to sink again.

Nines reluctantly pulled Gavin’s hand away from his face and set it on the bed so he could sloppily wipe away the remainder of his tears. “You should rest, Gavin. It’s late, and you’re still healing.”

“’m fine,” Gavin slurred, though his entire body betrayed the exhaustion he couldn’t fight anymore. He didn’t even have the energy to hide it.

Nines’ smile widened as he gently grabbed Gavin’s shoulders to pull him away from the headboard. Instead of resisting, Gavin let Nines move him, then gracelessly laid down and weakly tugged his sheets haphazardly over his body. Nines shook his head and straightened the sheets, then leaned down and pressed a short, sweet kiss to the smooth skin at the corner of Gavin’s eye before he intertwined their fingers again and shifted so he could sit comfortably next to Gavin on the bed.

“As much ‘s I like how you look in my jacket, I want it back when I go back to work,” Gavin muttered.

Nines rolled his eyes. “I hate you,” he whispered, though his lips were still curved upward in a smile.

“You love me,” Gavin murmured sleepily.

Nines’ free hand gently stroked Gavin’s messy hair.

“Yes, I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Thank you to everyone who read through this rollercoaster! It’s been in the works for a little more than a month due to time constraints concerning my work schedule, but with time I was luckily able to finish! After watching Octopunk Media’s Detroit Evolution fan film for the 13th(?) time, I got to thinking about all the things that could go wrong for Gavin and Nines after the events of the movie, and those thoughts eventually spawned this story. Hang tight for one-shot side stories based on the POV of characters besides Gavin and Nines, who were the focus of Rebirth (i.e. Chris, Tina, Ada, Lazzo, Fowler, Connor & Hank). Once again, thanks for reading, and feel free to comment any questions, which I will be happy to discuss! 
> 
> More info:  
> 1) The song that plays in Gavin’s car following his fight with Nines is “Drugs” by Eden.  
> 2) If anyone draws anything from this fic, I would absolutely love to see it. (@miraichaos on Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter)  
> 3) The cover picture for this fic can be found on my Instagram, Tumblr, or on Wattpad.  
> 4) Uploaded on Ao3 & Wattpad.  
> 5) If there are any important tags/trigger warnings I missed, please alert me in the comments so I can add them ASAP.  
> 6) Yes, I promise I will write the side stories and will not procrastinate them for a year.  
> 7) Absolutely fuck ao3 for erasing 70% of my indentations and forcing me to go through the entire fic to fix the lines.


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